Fire on Fire
by meegmog
Summary: Sometimes, a single meeting can completely change our world; perhaps without us even realizing it. Modern AU.
1. Chapter One

**A/N: Welcome. This is the first time I'm publishing a Sound of Music fanfiction. I've had this idea rolling around in my head for a while now. Before reading, I would like to warn you of a few things.**

**This first chapter is kind of trashy, kind of cringey, kind of spicy, but it sets up the rest of the story.**

**There aren't a lot of modern SOM fics out there, so this has been a bit of a challenge. It's a struggle to write these characters in a modern world while trying to keep them in character.**

**I'd also like to mention that this chapter leads to more questions than anything else. Characters may seem off or you may find yourself asking why they do what they do, but I promise I will explain everything later. Please give it a try. I promise that it will (hopefully) be worth it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even my sanity at this point.**

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"I cannot believe I let you drag me into this," Georg von Trapp muttered as the limousine pulled up to a well-lit street where people were lined up to get into one of Vienna's less popular nightclubs. He sighed as he watched the flashing neon sign light up the crowded street. This was certainly not a place he found himself often, or at all, for that matter.

"Oh, stop your complaining Georg. You could be dress shopping with Elsa right now. You should be thanking me," Max said from Georg's side. Georg made a noncommittal grunt and inwardly shuddered at the thought of sitting on an uncomfortable sofa in a boutique, scrolling through his phone while Elsa showed him a dozen new dresses she was deciding between. Perhaps Max _had_ done him a favour. Dress shopping with Elsa would not have been an enjoyable evening. "Besides, I have a meeting with a potential prospect."

"Why anyone would want to meet here to do business is beyond me," Georg grumbled as he watched a group of young men shove at each other outside of the entrance to the club. It all seemed rather barbaric to Georg; waiting in line only to walk into a dingy building full of sweaty bodies gyrating against each other to ear splitting music. No, that image did not appeal to Georg in the slightest.

"Mixing business with pleasure is the best way to a successful business deal, my dear friend," Max said with a chuckle as he watched Georg's unamused eyes scan the crowds outside. He had hoped an outing would cheer his old friend up, as he had been sulking around Elsa's flat for days. However, Max noted that Georg's anxiety only increased the closer they had gotten to the club.

"Hm. I can see why you don't often have success with your business deals, Max," Georg said dryly, eyes still scanning the crowd. He heard Max scoff.

"I'll forgive you for that, as you are buying the first round," Max quipped, pulling open his door and stepping outside. Georg rolled his eyes. He had reluctantly agreed to this outing with his best friend after much begging on Max's part. Max had told him they would go somewhere with a semblance of class, just the two of them to chat over drinks. It would seem that his dear friend had stretched the truth a little.

Hesitating for a brief moment, Georg moved to open his door. He took a reluctant step into the dark night. It was quite a pleasant night for February. The air was brisk, but not uncomfortably so. For that, Georg was thankful.

"Tom, could you come back for us in about three hours?" Georg heard Max ask Elsa's driver. Georg huffed to himself. Three hours? What the hell was he going to do here for three hours? Georg shut the car door with a little more force than necessary, causing Max to shoot him a glare over the top of the vehicle.

"Thank you, Tom," Max said, tapping the top of the limousine with his hand. He stepped around the front of the car to stand with Georg.

"Stop moping. Just enjoy yourself," Max muttered, giving Georg a pat on his shoulder before beginning to cross the street. Georg shook his head and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time since they had left Elsa's flat. _I suppose there's no going back now_, he thought bitterly.

He walked after Max, catching up in a few long strides as they made it to the entryway of the club. The pair walked through a thick cloud of cigarette smoke before assembling in the short line of bodies waiting to enter the club. The bouncer barely gave them a second look, only nodded to allow them inside.

If Georg thought the outside of the club looked undignified with its flashing signs and worn-down brick exterior, he was even more disappointed by the inside. The music, while not as loud as Georg feared it would be, vibrated through the floor. Neon strobe lights flashed all around the club in random patterns as sweaty bodies danced all around.

Georg felt severely overdressed in his suit and tie. He had not wished to change earlier, not quite knowing what to expect. He hadn't been to a club in nearly twenty years, and even then, his memories of clubs were rather dim. As he eyed the young men around him, he noticed they seemed to be dressed rather casually. It seemed that most of them were wearing a simple t shirt and jeans, while the women in the clubs were wearing, well, very little. Georg felt his eyes locating the nearest wall as he nearly witnessed a woman's breast pop out of her low-cut shirt.

"Shall we go to the bar?" Georg barely heard Max as he shouted in his ear. Georg nodded in reply. He would certainly need a drink to get through the next three hours.

Georg followed Max to the bar that was shaped as a giant circle in the middle of the club. They made their way to the section that was furthest away from the dace floor and Georg felt a bit of relief as he realized the music was a little quieter there. People were stuffing themselves along the counter to try and get an order in. Georg inwardly groaned. It seemed almost impossible to even get near the bar. Max, however, began to push through the crowds. He came upon a couple who were sitting on two stools at the bar, whispered something in their ear, and handed the man a bill. He motioned for Georg to come over.

"What the hell was that?" Georg asked, sitting upon one of the stools as Max sat on his right.

"Sometimes if you ask nicely, people will give you what you want," Max shrugged, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, "well, and, perhaps, some cash incentive."

Georg had to chuckle at that. Max was a rather extroverted personality, sometimes annoyingly so, but Georg did have to appreciate it at times.

"What can I get you gentlemen?" A burly man with a beard came up to the pair from behind the counter.

"He will have a whiskey, and I will take a martini please, dry. He will also take the bill," Max told the man, smirking in Georg's direction at the last bit. Georg shot him a glare but nodded at the gentleman behind the bar.

"Oh, I think I see Daniel over there! He's a brilliant cellist, Georg. I'm hoping to sign him tonight," Max exclaimed before hopping off his stool and walking into the crowd. He barely got ten feet before Georg lost him in the mass of people. He sighed. Here he was in a dark club all alone. He had to chuckle inwardly at the irony; surrounded by hundreds, Georg only felt completely isolated. Although, he pondered, it didn't matter where he was or who he was with, after Agathe's passing, he never felt anything but alone.

"Here's the whiskey," the bearded man said, pulling Georg from his increasingly dark thoughts. He smiled half heartedly as he took the whiskey and pulled out his wallet. He fingered out a few bills, enough to cover the drinks with a handsome tip included and handed them to the man. What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion for Georg.

As the bearded man handed Georg Max's martini, the man on Georg's left slammed Georg in the ribs with his elbow. Georg fumbled with the glass in his hand but his attempts to catch it were futile as it slipped from his hand and drenched a girl who had taken Max's spot to order a drink.

Georg looked at the woman, an apology ready on his lips, but was struck silent by her appearance. She stood staring at him, her mouth hung open in shock. Her white blouse, quite modest compared to what most of the women were wearing in the club, he thought, was now drenched through with the contents of the martini. She was quite pretty, in his opinion, pretty in a natural way. Her golden hair was short, her big eyes as blue as the sky, and she seemed to have a natural pink glow to her cheeks that he could just barely see in the dim lights.

Realizing that he was just blatantly staring at the woman he had just poured a drink on, he reached for some napkins on the bar and handed them to her.

"I'm very sorry. I, uh, did not mean to ruin your top," he stammered out like a young school boy getting reprimanded by a teacher. In truth, he did feel quite awful about the incident; however, there was something about the way this young woman was looking at him that made him feel almost shy.

"It was an accident, no reason to fret over it," her voice had a musical element to it that made Georg's ears perk up just by the sound of it. He watched the woman dab at the front of her blouse. It was a modest top with long sleeves and buttons on the top half. She had it buttoned so that it wasn't revealing but showed just enough skin to be tantalizing. However, upon watching her dab at the stain, Georg's mouth went dry. The martini had soaked enough of her shirt to make it practically see through. He glanced away quickly, feeling his face become warm. He had just drenched the girl in a martini, the last thing he should be doing is ogling her chest.

"Here, why don't you take this," he spoke as he shrugged out of his navy-blue suit jacket. He held it out for her to take, carefully keeping his eyes on her face. She quirked an eyebrow in confusion as she looked up to meet his eyes. "Uh, your shirt. I'm afraid it's, well, uh…"

He was saved from having to say the words as she glanced down at her chest and let out a gasp. She took the jacket from his hand and clutched it to her front. He noticed her cheeks turn a deeper hue of pink and found himself rather charmed by it.

"Thank you…" she trailed off realizing she didn't know what to call the man in front of her. Georg mentally slapped himself. He had forgotten his manners in the chaos of the incident.

"I'm Georg. And you are?" he asked. He watched a smile spread across her face as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of his jacket. Her smile was breathtaking, he noted.

"Maria," she replied. He smiled and extended his hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you Maria," he said. She took his hand with a gentle grasp and shook it, her eyes never leaving his. The small bit of contact sparked something deep in Georg's chest. He wasn't sure what it was or why a simple handshake gave him a tingling feeling, but he found himself curious to find out.

"I thought you might need another," Georg pulled his hand away and glanced over to the bartender who held out a fresh martini for him. Georg chuckled and muttered a thanks as he took the glass, taking extra caution as he set it down. He noticed Maria tugging at the sleeves of his jacket absentmindedly.

"Would you like this?" Georg asked, nodding toward the martini that sat between the two of them.

"Oh, that's very kind of you, but you really don't have to do that," she told him, bowing her head slightly in what seemed to be an act of shyness. Georg chuckled in a genuine way he hadn't found himself doing in a very long time.

"I spilt the first one on you, you might as well drink this one," he said, watching as her cheeks darkened, "besides, it seems my friend has abandoned me, and I could use the company."

"I don't drink very often," she said so quietly that Georg could barely hear her over the pounding music. He offered her a small smile, hoping that he wasn't scaring the poor girl.

"You don't have to," he said as he took a sip of his whiskey, "I just thought that it would be the least I could do."

"Thank you," she said, eyeing the martini. She looked rather unsure, but curious as she looked at it. Georg's eyes scanned her face. She did look rather young, perhaps not too much older than his eldest daughter. Early twenties maybe? Likely half his own age, Georg mentally chastised himself.

"I don't do this often," she spoke after a moment, catching his eyes with her own. He took another sip of his drink as he contemplated what _this_ was. Having drinks thrown on her by old men at bars?

"What's that?" he asked.

"I don't often come to these sorts of places. My friend, Jane, insisted that I come out with her tonight, but I seem to have lost her in the crowd," she muttered, looking at the mass of dancing bodies as if trying to pick her friend out.

"I don't often come out to these sorts of places either. My friend, Max, dragged me out, against my will I must add. And now he's abandoned me, likely for the rest of the night," he told her, a polite smile poised on his face. She returned his smile, her fingers reaching out to touch the stem of the glass.

"Was this martini for Max?" she asked. He saw a spark of mischief in her eyes. He nodded his confirmation and watched as she lifted the glass to her lips, taking a healthy sip. Georg's smile fell as her face twisted and she began to cough violently. He reached his arm around her back and patted between her shoulder blades gently before rubbing small circles. She really must not drink often, he thought to himself.

"It takes some getting used to," Georg said once her coughing had subsided. She looked up at him with a weak smile as he continued his ministrations on her back. She brought the drink back to her lips, taking a much smaller sip.

"I don't mind it," she said after a moment of contemplating on the taste. He smiled at her before picking up his whiskey with his free hand and finishing the drink. He signaled the bartender for another. Realizing his arm was still around Maria, he slipped it slowly from around her, placing it awkwardly on the counter in from of him.

"So, what do you do?" he asked her, trying to distract himself from the odd sense of loss he felt in his chest after removing his arm from around her.

"I'm finishing up my teaching degree right now," she told him, not quite meeting his eyes but looking at his tie.

"So, you want to teach in Vienna?" he asked.

"I'd like to teach wherever I can really. I'd certainly like to travel a bit if I'm able to. I'd love to teach in France, but my French is not what you could call fluent." She giggled as she took another small sip of the drink and Georg was sure it was one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard.

"Well, France is quite beautiful. Paris especially," he said, nodding to the bartender as another whiskey was placed in front of him.

"You've been to Paris?" she asked, eyes full of wonder. He chuckled at her unbridled sense of wonder.

"Why, yes. I've been quite a few times. I've done a lot of travelling," he replied, taking a sip of his beverage.

"Where else have you been?" Georg smiled as he began listing off the many cities had had found himself in over the years, adoring the way Maria's eyes would light up. It truly was endearing. She asked several questions about the different cities and countries, inquired about landmarks and the cultures. Georg found himself wanting to impress the young woman with his tales of adventure, and impressed she was.

Georg had lost track of the time. A couple hours, along with a few more drinks for each of them, had gone by quite quickly. He found that he was quite enjoying himself talking to this young lady. She was quite easy to talk to, and she certainly didn't hold back with her opinions and thoughts. She asked questions and inserted her own pieces. Though she had never left Austria, as he quickly found out, she was full of knowledge about places all around the world. More and more, Georg was finding himself charmed by Maria.

He also found himself noticing more things about her as the night went on – and as he drank more whiskey. The way her head tilted back slightly when she laughed. The ways her fingers would tap the stem of her glass when she was listening to him. The way she bit her bottom lip while she was thinking. It was all quickly driving him to madness. He found himself wanting to do nothing more that take this young woman in his arms and whisk her away, out of the dim club and, he thought with the more whiskey he drank, into his bed.

He tried to shake the thought from his head. That was not something he did. He did not meet young women at clubs and take them to his bed. He had always, except perhaps in his youth, found the idea repulsing. But Maria was just so damn radiant, even in the dim lights and loud music. He couldn't help but feel in awe of her beauty and natural grace. It certainly did not help his traitorous mind that she was still wrapped up in his jacket.

"Georg?" he heard her voice call him out of his reverie. He smiled and looked at her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I think I'm going to take a walk outside. It's getting much too stuffy in here." Georg looked from her to the growing crowd of people on the dance floor. He knew that he should just find Max and get the hell away from the club. He knew that he should not follow her outside, lest his whiskey clouded mind allow him to do something he would later regret. He knew he should just tell her that it was nice to meet her and be done with it, but Georg did none of those things.

"Let me get the bill and then I'll come out with you, if that's okay," he offered. He reached into his pants pocket to pull out his wallet.

"Yes, it's okay. But you really don't have to pay for my drinks," she said, standing to reach into her purse. He put a hand out to stop her. While she hadn't kept up with his number of drinks, she had consumed more than a couple of martinis. Not that Georg was upset at all with buying her drinks. Her company was payment enough.

"Nonsense. I practically drowned you in martini earlier, it's the least I can do." He was rewarded by a brilliant smile from Maria. He motioned to one of the bartenders and handed him wad of bills before turning back to Maria.

"Shall we?" he asked. She flashed another quick smile at him before leading the way back towards the entrance of the club. Since his arrival, Georg noticed that more people had stuffed themselves into the club, making getting around rather difficult. Intoxicated people everywhere were stumbling around. The several whiskeys that he had consumed were not helping Georg in that regard either. The room felt as if it were spinning and he suddenly felt quite warm. Maria looked back and held her hand out. He took it gladly, letting himself revel in how soft her hand felt in his own.

They managed to get through the crowd and to the door. Upon stepping outside, Georg sighed in relief. The air was brisk and exactly what he needed to cool down. There were quite a few people standing around the front of the club. Most of them were smoking, some were just speaking, rather loudly, in small groups. Georg was rather surprised when Maria led him around the corner of the building.

"It's a nice night," she said looking up at the sky. He followed her gaze and looked up. It was a clear sky and he could faintly see the stars past the city lights.

"I agree with you there," he replied as they stopped walking. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk, facing each other, but both looking upwards at the sky. Georg smiled at the stars as he felt her hand still in his own.

"I've always loved looking at the stars. It reminds me that there's a whole universe out there to be explored," she said in a quiet voice. Georg removed his attention from the sky above to the woman in front of him. She really was a breath of fresh air, Georg thought. The street lights gave him a better look at Maria, and he took her distraction of the stars to really look at her.

She was infinitely more beautiful than the dim light had credited her. Her blue eyes sparkled, her smile was positively radiant, and her hair absolutely glowed. Her cheeks were quite flushed – he imagined it was a mix of the heat and alcohol, but part of him, the part infused in a whiskey haze, hoped some of the colour was due to him.

"What is it?" she asked as her eyes fell on his. He had been caught, but he couldn't find himself caring. He felt even more intoxicated just looking at her and breathing her in. In the club, all he could smell was sweat and alcohol. Outside, he could catch the scent of her perfume. It smelled faintly of lavender and vanilla, and Georg found himself captivated by the scent. He slowly brought the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He noticed the hue of her cheeks darken ever so slightly and felt pride swell through his body.

"You're very beautiful," he said earnestly, lowering her hand to rest between them but not letting go.

"Thank you," she muttered, looking down at her feet. Georg suddenly wondered if she got complimented very often. She ought to, she was very beautiful. However, the way she shied away when he complimented her made him believe otherwise.

Feeling a sudden need to prove his words true – and feeling rather encouraged to do so by the whiskey – he raised his other hand to lift her chin so he could see her eyes. Her eyes widened at the action, but she made no move to pull away. He smiled to himself before leaning his face closer to hers, very slowly as though not to scare her. He felt her tense for a brief second before he came just within an inch of her lips. He could feel her breath from her parted lips graze his face. He watched her eyes flutter closed as she seemed to dreamily lean forward and close the remaining gap between them.

It was a tender sort of kiss at first, a kiss that Georg had not experienced in years. It made his heart swell in equal measures of joy and pain. He tried to repress his emotions, wanting solely to focus on the feel of Maria's lips. They were soft and warm against his own. It was a wonderful feeling. His hand dropped from her chin and wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He needed more contact. He moved his lips against hers, deepening the kiss at an excruciatingly slow pace. He had the feeling that Maria did not do this sort of thing often, and he would be damned if he was going to scare her away.

She responded hesitantly at first, barely moving her own lips against his. But as a couple moments passed, he felt her moving more firmly against him. He smiled against her lips, feeling almost dizzy off the mere taste of her. He turned her slowly and backed her against the brick wall of the building, letting go of her hand so he could place it next to her head on the cool brick, holding himself up. She had gasped against him as her back hit the wall, allowing him to gently inch his tongue into her mouth. He could detect the taste of alcohol and a subtle hint of something sweet like honey. He felt her stiffen at the contact and immediately backed off.

"I, uh, I'm sorry," he stammered, much like he did when he had spilt the drink on her. He cursed himself for letting his desire get away from him. What was he thinking? He just met her, at a nightclub of all places. He barely knew the girl and yet, he had her pushed up against the wall of a building like some sort of barbarian.

"It's fine, I just don't do this very often," she said shyly. She kept her gaze on his tie. Of course she didn't do this often. He should have known he was being too forward. Though he felt guilty, he couldn't bring himself to put more space between them, nor did she push him away.

"I don't either," he admitted, hoping to put her at ease. She looked back up ad his face, an eyebrow quirked. "I swear. In fact, this is the first time in several years I have done anything like this."

"It's quite nice," she spoke so softly he barely heard her, but his heart soared all the same. He contemplated his net move. Every logical neuron in his body told him to move away and tell her he needed to get going. However, a part of his mind that was hazy with alcohol and clouded with some sort of magnetic attraction to her kept him in place. _One more kiss_, he thought to himself. He brought his body closer, trapping her between himself and the wall.

"May I?" he asked, glancing down at her rosy lips. He saw a small smile spread across her face before she nodded gently. He moved slowly again, not wanting to rush her in any way. He brought his head down and placed his lips on hers. He felt her respond immediately this time, moving her lips firmly against his. It was clumsy, Georg noted, but he couldn't bring himself to care. She was warm and soft, and she made his head spin in a delightful way.

He realized that one more kiss was not going to be enough for him. She was too delicious on his lips, too warm against his chest. Every nerve in his body stood to attention as he held her. His hand slid off the wall and against the back of her neck, holding her more firmly to him. His fingers felt at the short strands at the nape of her neck. Her hair was incredibly soft.

Georg could think of nothing else than the woman against him. He couldn't feel the guilt he ought to at making out with a young woman he just met against the wall of a nightclub. He couldn't feel any sort of curiosity of where Max had been the last few hours. He couldn't feel anything but the soft lips and curves that moved against him.

Georg shuddered as he felt her hands slide up his chest and shoulders to move into his hair. His own hands moved to rest on her hips. Feeling the material of his jacket still snugly wrapped around her shot a new wave of desire through him. He licked at her bottom lip, asking silently for entrance. When she parted her lips for him, he slid his tongue between them, but this time, she did not stiffen. Her tongue met his and Georg could feel goosebumps prickling on his skin that had nothing to do with the cool air around them. In fact, he was feeling rather warm.

He backed off only when they both needed air, but he did not stop. His lips moved across her cheek, along her jaw, down her neck. He could not get enough of the taste of her skin. He could feel rather than hear her panting against him and he smiled against her neck. He hadn't felt this alive in years. He was met with a brief feeling of guilt deep in his chest at the desire that was flowing freely through him, but he quickly pushed it away. He couldn't, for the life of him, remember why that guilt was there.

His lips continued their path down her neck to where her neck met her shoulder. He bit down gently at the soft flesh that lay there and heard her gasp in his ear. He soothed the area with small strokes of his tongue. Her fingers tightened their grip in his hair and it only made Georg's head spin more. She just felt so damn good.

Needing to taste her lips against, he brought his face back to her own, kissing her more deeply than he had before. His fingers moved in a lazy pattern against her hips drawing out the sweetest little moans from Maria.

Her hands slid from his hair to grip his shoulders. He could feel her nails biting into his skin through his shirt and he couldn't help the groan that left his body. He wanted more, he needed more. He was burning up now, his body hot with need. In the back of his mind, a voice told him he needed to stop, but he couldn't. He hadn't burned so hot with desire for anyone in years.

He pushed further against her and felt her gasp into his mouth as he knew she could feel exactly what she was doing to him against her lower abdomen, yet she made no move to push him away or stop the dance of their tongues. His mind started reeling at the possibilities. Could he take her back to a hotel? Would she invite him back to her place? Or could he, and this was becoming more likely with the way her hands were gripping at his shirt, take her right there? He quickly dismissed that last thought, feeling guilty, although much less guilty that he ought to feel, that the idea even crossed his mind.

One of his hands tentatively moved from her hip to stroke her side under the jacket she still wore. Slowly his fingers moved up her waist, trailing a path against her ribs, until he grazed the side of her breast with the tips of his fingers. She shuddered against his body, her lips moving harder against his own. As slowly as he had moved up her side, he trailed his fingers across the front of her breast as she moaned at his touch. Just as his thumb grazing across her nipple, he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

"Georg?!" Georg pulled his lips and hand away from Maria upon hearing Max's exclamation. Immediately, Georg felt the guilt settle in at the bottom of his stomach. He felt as is a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. What the hell had he been doing? What the hell had he been _about_ to do?

"Uh, hello," he said sheepishly in Max's direction, his body still not making any moves to pull away from Maria's. Georg glanced back at the young woman who look absolutely horrified; whether the look was for Max's interruption, Georg's completely rakish behaviour, or her own abandon, Georg couldn't bring himself to ask.

"We need to leave," Max stated with a tone of authority Georg had never heard from him before. It was almost as if the roles were suddenly reversed, Georg thought. Usually he was the one taking on the authority role whenever Max would get himself into trouble.

"Erm, yes. Would you, uh, give me a moment, Max?" he asked as he glanced at Maria who looked utterly embarrassed. He watched Max take a deep breath. The man looked furious with rage clear in his eyes and Georg struggled to think of a time he had ever seen Max look so utterly enraged.

"Tom is across the street with the car. You have one minute before I come back here and drag you into that car," Max told him, staring daggers at Georg. He sighed before shooting an apologetic look at Maria, and with that he walked back around the corner of the building. Georg's chest was tight. He was embarrassed, horrified, ashamed of his actions. How had he lost his control so badly? He had been in the Navy for God's sake, he prided himself on his control.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to Maria, looking down at her small frame that was hunched against the wall. She couldn't meet his eyes, escalating the guilt that lay heavy in Georg's chest. The last thing he had wanted to do was scare her or put her at unease, but with his reckless actions, he had done just that. Gently, Maria pushed his chest and Georg forced his feet to move backwards. He put a good two feet between them and watched as she shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to him. He took it, holding it strategically in front of his midsection as he willed his body to calm down.

"It's fine," she said so quietly, he hadn't been sure she had actually spoke. Georg was unsure what to do next. He wanted to put the girl at ease, to tell her she was not in the wrong and that the fault fell solely on him, but his lips couldn't form the words. He was frozen in place. "You should probably go."

"Maria," he started, and his heart fell as she flinched when he spoke her name. He scrambled for words to help the situation in any possible way, but he came up short. "I meant what I said, I don't do this."

He watched her nod, but she still didn't meet his eyes.

"It doesn't matter now," she said, "I doubt we will ever meet again. By tomorrow, it will all be forgotten."

She spoke with a maturity he was sure was beyond her years. A part of him knew that he would never be able to forget this night for as long as he lived, but he just nodded, unable to do anything else. He could feel a pounding headache coming on. He knew part of it was due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed. The other part of it was the number of thoughts and feelings flowing through him that made his head spin.

He watched as she gave him, or rather his tie, one last look before walking away from him and disappearing into the night. He stood frozen for a moment as he tried to work through what had just happened. His actions appalled him. He had not acted in such a way in a very long time. It was not like him at all. He had to wonder, why had he acted that way? Was it purely that his mind had been fogged with whiskey? That had to be the only explanation, he reasoned with himself.

"Georg!" He heard Max's voice boom from across the street and his feet moved on their own accord, rather unsteadily, while his mind began to shut down, as it often did when he couldn't bring himself to think about something anymore.

Georg's body took him to the car and got in, waiting for what he assumed would be snide comments from Max.

"Tom, please drive us back to Elsa's flat. But take the long way if you could. I think the drive will do Georg some good," Max said politely to the driver. Georg vaguely heard the man respond before Max rolled the screen up between the front of the car and the back. For several moments, the ride was silent. Georg stared out the window and watched the buildings pass as he awaited Max's fury.

"Now would you like to tell me," he heard his friend's voice, "exactly what in the hell you think you were doing?"

Georg sighed, not bothering to turn and look at his friend. He didn't have an answer, he doubted that he ever would have an answer for his abominable behaviour that night.

"Well?" Max prodded impatiently. Georg finally turned to look at the man beside him. Max looked as if he had calmed himself down considerably. His eyes were no longer filled with rage, but rather increasing concern.

"I don't know, Max. I really don't know," Georg confessed, looking down to his suit jacket he held in his hands. He could still faintly smell Maria's perfume coming off it, which made his head throb even more.

"Well let me tell you how I saw it," Max began, "You were miserable to even come to this nightclub with me tonight. I thought it might be do you some good to get out of Elsa's flat, considering that you've done nothing but brood for the past week. I left you at the bar to meet with a potential business prospect, which was obviously a mistake on my part. I hoped that perhaps you might have a few drinks, maybe socialize a little, and maybe, just maybe, you would find yourself having a good time. Imagine my surprise when I come back to the bar, and the bartender tells me you left nearly half an hour ago with a young woman you had been fawning over for the entire evening."

"What do you want me to say, Max?" Georg snapped, looking the man straight in the eye. "I don't know what I was doing or how it happened."

"I'll tell you what happened. You drowned whatever internal crisis you've been having the last few days, or should I say the last five years, with alcohol and you found the closest woman you could find to sleep with. The least you could have done is go to a hotel or something. You were basically taking that girl against the wall for all to see." Max's voice was harsh as he reprimanded Georg, and he was glad to see the guilt clear in Georg's eyes. It served him right. "Really, Georg, I thought we were past this."

"It wasn't like that," Georg whispered, looking back down at his hand that gripped his jacket so hard, his knuckles were white.

"Really? Because I seem to remember you doing this very same thing not too long after Agathe died." Max's words struck Georg right in the chest and he let the pain wash over him like a scab that had been ripped off before the wound had healed.

Max continued, "You drink too much, pick up a pretty girl and take her to bed. And in the morning, you are so consumed with grief and guilt that you repeat it all over again the next night."

"I haven't done that in years," Georg murmured.

"Two years. And I had thought that it was because you had found Elsa. I wonder what she would have to say about all of this." Georg's head snapped up as he realized he hadn't thought of Elsa the entire night. The guilt in his chest kept increasing to the point that Georg was sure it would burst open.

"We aren't exactly official, Max," he said half heartedly, hoping it would make him feel better. It didn't.

"Well then, what would you call it? You've been seeing each other for two years, and I know for a fact that Elsa wants there to be more."

"You're right. I don't know why I left myself lose control like that," Georg said quietly, feeling remorse for the entire night. He let his head hang low as he looked at his shoes, not quite wanting to meet his friend's eyes. He felt Max's eyes on him and could sense the pity.

"Well," Max sighed, "I suppose we should just forget about it. You had a slip up. It happens. I see no need to tell Elsa, as long as it doesn't happen again."

Georg felt as if he were six years old again, getting reprimanded by his father for stealing cookies from the cookie jar before supper.

"Although I would check your phone if I were you. I asked Elsa if she had heard from you when I couldn't find you. She seemed rather concerned." With that, Max turned away to look out of the window, ending the conversation.

Georg dug into the pockets of his jacket, searching for his phone. He pulled out to find seven texts and two missed calls from Elsa, two texts from Max, and a text from his housekeeper back in Salzburg. He immediately opened up Elsa's messages.

_Elsa: I hope you boys are having fun tonight. [Sent at 9:48 p.m.]_

_Elsa: I picked up the most beautiful dress. I can't wait for you to see it. [Sent at 10:32 p.m.]_

_Elsa: Max said you went missing. Are you alright? [Sent at 11:49 p.m.]_

_Elsa: Georg, I'm worried about you. [Sent at 12:02 a.m.]_

_Elsa: Please let me know you're okay. [Sent at 12:08 a.m.]_

_Elsa: Your phone is going straight to voicemail. You're scaring me. [Sent at 12:11 a.m.]_

_Elsa: Max says he's found you. I'm glad, but please don't scare me like that. The door is unlocked for you two. I'm off to bed, Goodnight. [Sent at 12:45 a.m.]_

Georg felt his heart sink. He felt awful that he had worried Elsa, and he felt even worse that he hadn't even given a thought about her while he was with Maria. Georg and Elsa did not have an official title, both of them had believed it was easier that way when they had begun seeing each other. But still, he felt a sense of guilt for being with another woman, even if nothing had truly happened.

His head pounded and he closed his eyes, willing it to stop. He was sure he was going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning. He leaned his forehead against the window of the car door, letting it cool him down. Both Max and Maria had said the night was better off forgotten. He agreed wholeheartedly.

He had lost control in a moment of weakness, he was sure of it. He vowed to put it behind him. He vowed to forget the blue eyes and soft lips that had made him lose his resolve. He vowed to focus on his work and being better to Elsa. He vowed to keep himself in check from this night forward. He vowed to forget Maria and the desires that had taken over him. As he looked over at Max, who was staring out his own window, Georg vowed that he would never let himself get into a mess like this again. He would fall behind the mask that he put on so often, it had become a part of him. He would keep his resolve and his wit about him. He would forget it ever happened.

As he closed his eyes and breathed softly against the cool glass of the window, he pushed his brain to expel any thought of Maria. He would never see her again, like she said. If he never saw her again, it wouldn't be too hard to forget about the incident, right?

As Georg began to feel sleep take over his body, he was unaware that he was very wrong about two things:

Somethings are not that easy to forget; and

He had not seen the last of the girl who had broken his resolve.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of my trash baby. It was pretty Georg heavy, but I felt that this scene through his perspective would be important to upcoming chapters. I have the next few chapters pretty well planned out so I should update it soon. **

**If you feel up to it, let me know if you loved it or hated it. I'm honestly not too sure how people are going to feel about this. I'm sorry if I've caused any offense.**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: After receiving some lovely comments on the first chapter, I felt quite inspired to write out this next one. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. The journey is just beginning.**

_3 months and 12 days later…_

Georg sat in his study with his laptop open, going over the expense reports that had been sent to him that morning. He found that the report put him in a rather good mood. The report showed that his company was bringing in significantly more money than it was spending. Only six months ago, his small shipping company had been losing money rapidly.

Georg had found that his clients had begun to up and leave him for a new shipping company run by a Hans Zeller, a man Georg had met briefly before at social gatherings and prayed he would never have to meet again. Zeller offered ridiculously low prices for exporting goods, prices Georg was unable to fathom that he would be able to make an income off of.

After weeks of deliberation with his finance and marketing departments, they were able to adjust their prices to fit better competitively. While they were no where as low as Zeller's company, it worked. Georg prided himself on being able to give customers a service that kept them coming back, a quality which Zeller did not seem to possess. Georg treated each client with as much charm and kindness as he could muster to ensure their loyalty to him.

Georg smiled at the numbers in front of him. Things were finally falling into place, at least in his work life. His smile fell as his thoughts led him astray from his work life; his personal life was another matter entirely.

The past three months of his life had been challenging, ever since the night of the incident at the nightclub. It began with him waking with a splitting headache to Elsa shoving some Aspirin in his face and lecturing him at his bedside about going off the radar. She made it very clear that she was extremely worried about him and that while he was staying with her in Vienna, that kind of behaviour was not to be tolerated.

To say that it put a bit of a wedge between he and Elsa would be an understatement. She acted icy towards him for several days afterwards. When he returned to his home in Aigen a week later, she had barely spoken more than a few words to him, not that he really minded. He was overcome with guilt for what he had done that night and had put all his energy into forgetting it.

Max, oddly enough, was his saving grace. He didn't mention a word about that night to Georg and went on as his normal, charming sponge self. While he noticed the tension between Georg and Elsa, he acted as a mediator. He was the buffer between them. He would joke and take them on outings and keep the conversation going, even if he was just talking to himself.

Over the weeks, Georg and Elsa had seemed to find a silent reconciliation. Elsa called him one night after he had returned to Aigen and gone was the cold air in her voice. She quickly became the warm and jovial woman he had come to enjoy. With some time, she had put the entire incident behind her. Georg only wished that he could say the same.

After the first week, Georg had felt he had made great progress in the promises he made to himself. Georg was invested in his work and completely in control of himself. He had barely even thought of the incident since that night. He was incredibly proud of himself.

Until the dreams began to plague his every sleeping moment.

A couple nights after he had returned to his home and seven children – who often steered clear of him in the rare times he came home – the dreams started. Typically, if Georg ever had any sort of lust-filled dream, it was Agathe who starred in them. It was the only time he really felt at peace, when he could feel her in his arms once again. He felt complete bliss in those dreams, only to have his world crash down around him all over again when he would wake, and she was not there.

These dreams were not of his Agathe.

These were vivid dreams, explicitly real feeling dreams that woke him with a start and left him drenched in sweat and unbearably aroused. Every night when he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he would always find _her_.

She – he refused to use her name – would always find her way into his subconscious, and usually, into his bed in these dreams. It would start off innocently enough. In one dream, he was simply just talking to her about Paris while they sat under the stars and in the next minute, she was on her back in the grass while he fumbled to get her pants undone.

It always ended the same though; each time she would vanish before his eyes just before he was about to climax, and that's when he would wake.

The dreams were haunting and unnerving. Georg felt a level of anxiety rise within him after he woke up from these dreams, along with a striking but familiar feeling of heaviness in his chest. After each dream had ended and Georg was sat up in bed trying to calm his erratic heartbeat, the guilt would settle in all over again. The memories of that night would wash over him anew. Her lips, her curves, her soft little moans. He could feel, taste, see, smell, and hear it all over again. He despised himself for it.

Not only did he feel guilty for dreaming of this woman while he desperately trying to make things right with Elsa, he felt as if it were a betrayal to Agathe. The way he desired this woman in his dreams – because in broad daylight Georg refused to think about it – was a level of wanting and needing that he hadn't felt since Agathe had been alive and well in his arms. He didn't even feel that kind of desire with Elsa, which was just another reason that he felt guilty.

While the sex with Elsa was satisfying, it was more of a casual thing. The two had met through Max; Georg being his oldest friend, and Elsa being a friend of his ex wife, who surprisingly took Max's side in the divorce. Georg had been a widower for three years, Elsa a widow of seven years. The two hit it off right away and she had seemed to bring a spark back into his eyes. She made him laugh and it felt easy to be around her. The conversations did not often run dry and they had fun together. Their relationship stood on a platonic level for about a month, until one night when Georg had visited her flat one night by himself and the two had drank a little too much scotch.

They fell into bed together as, Georg reflected, it was inevitable. It was easy with Elsa at first. She didn't want a label anymore than he did. They were just good friends who, on the occasion where they both needed a release, would sleep together. It wasn't ever out of pure passion or desire, it was more often just a way for them both to let off steam.

Georg had noticed Elsa change within the last several months. While an unspoken agreement had settled that they were seeing each other exclusively, Georg had never taken the next step to make their relationship official. He didn't feel like he needed to. He was comfortable with where they were. But gradually, Elsa started to drop hints that she had wanted things to be more serious between them. She would usually use Max to try and urge Georg to take things further, but Georg felt like it was wrong.

It felt almost as if he were replacing Agathe if he committed himself into a real relationship with Elsa, and Agathe just couldn't simply be replaced.

He was still grieving, after all. Five years later, his heart still ached when he would wake up in the morning and she wasn't there. His lungs fell short of breath when he would look upon his children and see her in each of their faces.

Ah yes, his other shortcoming in his personal life – his children.

While he knew it was wrong, Georg had closed himself off to his children. He loved them, he really did, but he just couldn't bring himself to be in a room with them for too long without feeling a deep pain in his chest at the memories of Agathe that were embedded in each of the children. He saw her in Liesl's smile, in Friedrich's eyes, in Louisa's hair, in Kurt's flamboyant attitude, in Brigitta's laugh, in Marta's soft-spoken voice, in Gretl's love to be in the spotlight. They each possessed traits that reminded him so vividly of their mother that it physically hurt him.

After Agathe had passed, Georg closed himself off from everyone and everything. He left the country, choosing to stay at the family summer home in Rome for just over six months. Mrs. Schmidt, his housekeeper, bless her heart, had assured him that she and her husband would watch over the children while he was away. He had hoped that with some time and distance, his heart would heal, and he would be able to be a better father to the seven people who needed him the most. He found that his plan did not have its desired affect.

He came home more broken than he had left. He couldn't look at any of his children without feeling enraged at the world for taking his love away from him. He knew they were grieving too, he knew that they needed him, but he couldn't bring himself to be the father they deserved. He began to rely on governesses to take care of them, claiming he was needed in Vienna frequently due to his workload increasing. While governesses seemed a rather nineteenth century way of doing things – as Max often liked to point out – he had felt more secure in their abilities to educate his children properly as opposed to nannies.

The governesses never seemed to last. It seemed that his children had become quite unruly in the time of their grieving. They played tricks and pulled pranks on the governesses until they would quit without any notice, dragging Georg back to Aigen to find someone else.

As he sat at his desk, he tried to recall how many governesses they had chased away by now. Eleven, he thought bitterly. They had managed to scare off eleven governesses. The last one had barely lasted a few hours. Georg had left the children with the governess and made off for Vienna, only to be called home by a frantic Mrs. Schmidt that same night.

It had taken him nearly a week to find a replacement, or rather it took Mrs. Schmidt a week. Georg put out an ad online and let Mrs. Schmidt vet the people who applied. He had little patience and little time to interview the people applying to look after his children. At least, that's what he told himself. He had been part of the interview process in the beginning, but he quickly grew tired of the looks of pity when they found out his wife had died, or the looks of disgust when he mentioned he wouldn't be around much.

Georg sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Between Elsa, his children, and his unnerving dreams destroying his psyche, Georg felt exhausted. His only solace was burying himself in his work.

He took his reading glasses off and rubbed his eyes. He had to have been sitting there for a good few hours. He stretched out his back in his seat and heard an unsettling cracking. _You're getting old_, he thought to himself bitterly. Before he could contemplate his aging bones further, he heard a knock on the door of his study.

"Come in," he called. His butler – and Max also constantly criticized Georg for having a butler in this day and age – Franz poked his head through the door.

"The new governess has arrived, sir. She's waiting in the foyer," the man told him. Georg nodded and stood.

"Thank you, Franz," he replied, dismissing him. The butler nodded curtly before exiting the room. Georg took his dark grey suit jacket from where it hung off the back of his chair and slipped it on. He straightened his tie around his neck and patted the knot gently as he made his way out of his study, and down a corridor that led to the foyer.

His eyes searched the foyer for the governess. He never knew what to expect. He had employed governesses of all different ages and backgrounds. He stopped short when he saw a figure at the far end of the foyer.

A young woman dressed in a pair of paint stained jeans and a baggy t shirt stood with her back to him, her hand placed on the doorknob that led to the music room, a room in which everyone living under his roof had strict instructions to never enter. He was shocked, he had never seen a governess snoop around his house so quickly after their arrival. _She won't last the day if she keeps this up_, Georg thought to himself.

"Don't," his voice was loud and firm as it echoed through the foyer. He watched the intruder tense, her dainty hand slipping off the doorknob. He took a few steps closer, his shoes clicking against the floor with every step. "There are certain rooms in this house I would rather not have you snooping in during your stay here."

Slowly, the perpetrator turned to face him, and Georg swore his heart stopped beating for a moment. It couldn't be. Surely his mind was playing tricks on him. _She _couldn't be here. He blinked several times, willing the image in front of him to just be an illusion of his mind.

It was undoubtedly _her_. The blue eyes, rosy lips, and golden hair confirmed it. It was the woman from that night all those months ago.

Neither of them made a move or a sound. They simply stared at each other with wide eyes. This had to be a joke. This couldn't be real. She couldn't be here, in his house, staring back at him with those big blue eyes he had seen every night in his dreams for three months. Surely this was just another dream, and he willed himself desperately to wake up.

But he didn't wake up. He stood planted in his spot unable to move, or speak, or breathe. She was stood in front of him, her eyes raking over him with disbelief. He felt a spark of anger build within him, not necessarily directed at her, but at the situation. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, and she really was to be his children's governess for the summer, he knew he was in big trouble.

They silence had stretched through many minutes. He had to say something, anything. What could he say? That he was sorry? That he was an ass for the way he ravished her against a building and then left? That she was haunting his dreams and it was killing him? That she needed to leave before his sanity completely shattered in front of his eyes?

"You said you were a teacher, not a governess," he choked out, breaking the never-ending silence in the room. He mentally kicked himself. That was what he chose to say? She looked surprised when he spoke. Her eyes widened before quickly narrowing in his direction. He felt as if she were shooting daggers at him.

"I said I was finishing my teaching degree, which I have. I needed a job for the summer. Besides, I believe you left out a few details yourself, seven of them," she retorted with what Georg could only describe as pure venom. He wanted to say he was surprised by the iciness of her tone, but he wasn't. His actions were deplorable, he had spent enough time realizing that. But her tone annoyed him. The whole damn mess annoyed him.

"I didn't think my children were any of your concern at the time," he said pointedly. He watched the hurt flash in her eyes for a quick second before her gaze became icy again. It was easier this way, he thought. To treat her coldly. They did agree on some level that night that it should be forgotten, and it would be. Or at least he would try to make it seem as if he could have forgotten it.

"I suppose they weren't, _Captain_." He flinched at her use of his military title. He was accustomed to people calling him Captain after he had retired from the Navy, and especially after Agathe passed. It was a way to keep things from being personal. But for some reason, it stung when she referred to him by his title. He hadn't been aware that she knew that bit of information about him. He cursed Mrs. Schmidt internally.

"How much did Mrs. Schmidt tell you about your position here?" Georg asked, changing the tone of the conversation. He wanted to leave, quickly. He wasn't sure how long he was going to last in the same room with her, let alone under the same roof as her. He needed to think. And he needed a drink.

"Not much," she told him. He nodded and began a slow pace in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back.

"You are the twelfth governess to come and look after my children. The ones before you were not equipped to discipline my children. I do hope you will be an improvement," he started, keeping his tone business-like. He tried to avoid her eyes. He tried to avoid looking at her at all, instead choosing to glare at the wall as he continued his pacing.

"Is there something, erm, wrong with the children?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her, without looking directly at her.

"No. I believe there was something wrong with the governesses," he said, letting his words sink in. "They were unable to manage any semblance of discipline in this house. Discipline is the main pillar of this house. Please do try to remember that Ms…"

Georg wanted to smack himself. He didn't even know her last name. He tried to push the thought away. _Forget that you had ever met her before_, a voice in the back of his mind spoke, _consider this a first meeting_.

"Rainer," she supplied. He nodded curtly in her direction before returning his eyes to the wall in front of him.

"As you know, this is a full-time role. You will live under this roof to care for my children, but with that, there are rules to be followed. No snooping, for example," he paused to let her take the hit before continuing. "The children wake up at seven every morning and get ready for the day. After breakfast, they are to focus on their studies until lunch, weekends are no exception. After lunch, they take a walk around the lake to get fresh air and exercise. Afterwards, they are to do their required reading until dinner. After dinner, they have two hours of Internet to do as they please before lights out at eight. Under no circumstance are my children to be up and about after lights out. Do you understand?"

There's the look he feared in all of his interviews with governesses in the past, the look of disgust with a spark of anger. It hurt more coming from her big, kind blue eyes, it hurt a hell of a lot more. But he stood his ground, stopping in front of her to stare her down.

"I was told the ages range from five to sixteen. Do they all go to bed at the same time?" she asked. While her tone was filled with a formal politeness, he could see the annoyance in her eyes.

"Those are the rules. I expect you to follow them. Now that I've made myself clear, I must ask you again, do you understand?" he asked, his voice oozing with ice. He was beyond annoyed that she would question his parenting. They were _his_ children and as long as they lived under his roof, they would live under his rules. That included anyone under his employ.

"Yes, I think I can manage," she replied through gritted teeth. He nodded, pleased she didn't question his parenting methods further. It was becoming easier, he found, to think of her as an insubordinate governess. She had the perfect attitude to act the part of just another nuisance under his employ. At least being in this frame of mind could help him keep his confused thoughts and feelings at bay.

Carefully, without letting his eyes linger, he analyzed her attire again. The baggy shirt she wore had a symbol that he believed belonged to a musical group, however he could not recall to which it belonged. Her jeans were covered in splatters of red, white, blue, and yellow paint. All in all, she looked as if she had just come from living off the street, he mused.

"Would you like to change before you meet the children?" he asked, his voice a little harsher than he needed it to be.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" she asked, looking down at herself. He scoffed.

"You want to meet the children dressed like this?" he shot back. He was appalled by her choice of outfit on her first day at the job, quite frankly. He had expected that someone coming to meet their employer for the first time might want to look a little more presentable.

"I apologize, Captain. I did not realize I was meeting royalty," she quipped. He had to hand it to her, she was quick on her feet. He felt himself almost begin to smirk at the comment but held his face in its stony mask.

"Fine," he said simply. _They are going to eat her alive_, he thought. And it would be for the best. He didn't have just cause to fire her. The faster the children ran her out of the house, the better. He pulled a small whistle from the pocket of his slacks. It was some cheap plastic whistle he had purchased not long after Agathe had passed. It was shrill but rather effective. As he brought it to his lips and blew sharply into it, he watched her jaw drop. He quirked an eyebrow at her, daring her to comment, but she said nothing. He hid the smirk growing on his face by raising the whistle back up to his lips and blowing again, a shrill scream echoing through the foyer.

It sounded like a stampede of raging bulls as his children all assembled outside of their rooms and quietly made their way down the stairs in an orderly fashion. He watched Maria from the corner of his eye as she watched all the children descend to the foyer. Her face was unreadable as she began to physically count their heads. He was rather proud of how quietly and calmly they came down the stairs.

Friedrich was the first down followed by his brother, Kurt. They both wore similar short sleeved button-down shirts and slacks, something Georg had insisted on. He believed they needed to start dressing like young men and not young hooligans. Louisa and Brigitta followed, with Liesl holding the hands of the two youngest trailing behind them. Louisa was quite adamant about how she felt wearing dresses. Agathe had tried for years to get Louisa in a dress but had failed miserably. While the whether got warmer, most of his daughter opted for light summer dresses to keep them cool, whereas Louisa insisted on a simple pair of leggings and a blouse.

"Children," he addressed them as they came to stand in front of him in a lazy line, "this is Ms. Rainer. She will be your new governess."

He saw the cold stares they shot at their new governess and Georg had to hold back a chuckle. _She certainly won't last the day_, he thought to himself while simultaneously wondering where his children had learned that menacing look from.

"Ms. Rainer, this is Friedrich, Kurt, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, Liesl, and Gretl," he nodded to each of his children as he went down the line they had formed. He watched as she smiled politely at his children and he couldn't help the smirk from spreading across his face this time. She had no idea what she was up against. "Now, I'm sure you'd all like to get acquainted. I'll see you all at dinner."

He left as quickly as he could, not wanting to be in her presence for longer than necessary. His head reeled as he walked back to his study. This certainly wasn't a dream. _No_, he thought, _this is a nightmare_.

He made it to his study and shut the door. He stopped at the little bar he had in the corner of his study and he poured himself a whiskey before slumping into his chair at his desk. What on Earth was he going to do? Georg felt like his world was crumbling before his eyes, and it was all _her _fault.

As he sipped at his whiskey, he found himself becoming increasingly angry. He was angry with his children for chasing away the previous governesses that preceded her, he was angry with Mrs. Schmidt for not giving him some warning, and he was angry with her for being in his home. All of his anger was unjustified, he knew that, but he couldn't help it.

This was an absolute mess. He really had no one else to blame but himself. How foolish had he been to believe he could forget about her without any repercussions for his actions? His world never worked that way. His actions always had consequences. How was he going to get himself out of this?

He thought for a moment about his next move. He couldn't fire her without it getting out what had happened between them. No, he wouldn't fire her. He hoped the children would be able to get rid of her by the end of the day, but that plan was rather flimsy. Maybe the last one had broken in a matter of mere hours but typically, the governesses stuck it out for a few weeks. He had a sick feeling in his gut that she would try and stick it out. From the conversations that had taken place that dreaded night, she hadn't seemed like the type to back down right away from a challenge.

No, he would have to leave. He certainly would not be able to stay under this roof. If the aching memories of Agathe weren't enough to torture him, watching this woman prance around his house certainly would be. He picked his phone up from off his desk and dialed. After two rings, the other line picked up.

"Georg, how lovely to hear from you," Elsa's cool tone came through the line.

"Hello, Elsa. How are you?" He asked sweetly, tapping his fingers against his glass.

"Oh, I'm fine. Exhausted. Max and I went shopping today," she replied.

"No, you went shopping and dragged me along to hold your bags like some man servant." Georg could hear Max's annoyed tone in the background, and it brought a smile to his face.

"I'm glad you had a productive day. Perhaps I could come up and relieve Max of his bag carrying duties?" he asked, straining to keep the hesitation out of his voice. The last thing he wanted to do was be paraded around boutiques to carry Elsa's things around, but he needed an escape and he had felt as if he had been neglecting her lately.

"Oh Georg, that would be lovely. Max, wouldn't you love to see Georg this week?"

"As long as he is the one carrying your things. I swear, Elsa, I won't be able to move tomorrow. My poor back," Georg heard Max whine in the background.

"Oh, quit your whining. There should be some fresh strudel in the kitchen. Help yourself," Elsa called over to Max. Georg could hear Max's shoes clicking on the tile at a hasty pace. There was nothing his oldest friend liked better than fresh dessert, except perhaps, money.

"I was thinking maybe I could drive down tonight?" Georg said, praying that Elsa didn't have plans. It was foolish to think she didn't.

"Well, I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight. I expect it to go late. But you're more than welcome to come," she told him. Georg cursed inwardly.

"No, no. I'll drive over in the morning, if that works for you," he replied.

"That would be fine. I've missed you, you know," she said, her voice dropping an octave. Georg winced slightly as he realized he hadn't given her much thought over the past week he had been back in Salzburg. He told himself it had been because he was so busy from work, but that defense was futile as his nights were constantly taken up by the thought of another woman, a woman now living under his roof no less.

"I've missed you too," he said, inwardly cringing at his lie. It wasn't that he didn't miss her, he enjoyed her company and did miss it. It was just that she was a means to escape right now, a way out of a mess. He felt the familiar pangs of guilt in his chest as he realized how he was using her. He needed to stop this nonsense. Elsa had always been there for him and was taking him in when he felt he had nowhere else to go. He promised himself to do better by her when he went up to Vienna in the morning.

"Max is staying here too, although that's no news. I don't think he even has a home since he spends so much time here. He's going to have to start paying rent," she said the last bit a little louder, Georg assumed so that Max could hear. Georg felt a sense of relief that Max would also be there. As hard as he was to deal with sometimes, Max always lifted Georg's spirits.

"I heard that." He heard in the distance.

"You were meant to," Elsa shot back.

"Well, I'll leave early in the morning and make it to Vienna in time for lunch," he told her.

"Excellent, I'll see you tomorrow, Georg."

"I'm looking forward to it," he replied before hanging up the phone. He breathed out a sigh of relief. He was glad he would be able to escape. Elsa and Max had always been nice distractions.

Georg just prayed that he would be able to make it through dinner.


	3. Chapter Three

Maria's body plopped down on the soft mattress of the bed in her new room. She was exhausted, and she had barely been in the von Trapp home for three hours. She felt completely and utterly drained mentally. She had felt relief wash over her when Mrs. Schmidt had come to tell the children that they were still expected to do their required reading. The woman had been kind enough to show Maria to her new room.

"You'll get used to it. They aren't bad children, my dear. Just troubled and confused," Mrs. Schmidt had told her. She wanted to believe it. She had always tried her best to see the best in people, but the children had spent the couple of hours of them 'getting acquainted' using every tactic in their arsenal to intimidate her. She shuddered as she thought about her encounter with them.

They were as cold and stony faced as their father had been. At first, they spoke very little, only telling her their names, ages, and for most of them, how much they felt they didn't need her in their lives. Maria couldn't help the first genuine smile since she had arrived at the house spread across her face when it seemed the two youngest girls had taken to her. They just seemed excited to have someone asking them questions and paying attention to them. God knows they don't get enough attention from their father, from what Mrs. Schmidt had insinuated.

The silence of the older ones ended quickly once Maria confessed that she had never been a governess before. She had barely known that governesses were still used until she had seen the ad online.

Kurt, Friedrich, and Louisa were quick to tell her the 'rules' of the house, though Maria very much doubted that any of them would be accepted by their father. They told her that she should always walk around with her phone in her hand to look busy, to never be on time for meals as the times were relaxed and everyone was always late anyways, and to frequently question everything their father says.

She understood their hostility towards her. To them, she was just another governess coming to make sure they follow their father's rules, when all they wanted was for their father to pay them some attention. However, she was determined to keep this job. She was heavily in debt with her student loans and needed to start paying them off. She just wasn't sure how to get the children to warm up to her. They seemed quite set in their ways.

Not twenty minutes after meeting them, she had found a toad in her small tote that was filled with lesson plans. She carefully and quietly took the creature out of the bag and put it outside, not saying a word to the children who had looked at her with hopeful eyes. They were likely hoping it would scare her. She was not scared easily though, much to their dismay.

The next couple of hours seemed to drone on. Maria sat with the children in a sitting room, mostly in silence. The older four all scrolled through their phones absentmindedly, while Brigitta had pulled a book off one of the side tables. The youngest two seemed content in chatting between them, playing with dolls. Occasionally, each of the older five would take a turn to shoot a cold stare at their new governess, which made Maria feel quite unsettled. They certainly had menacing looks for such young children.

But when they were not glaring in her direction, Maria studied them carefully.

Liesl seemed bored and disinterested with whatever she was looking at on her screen. Friedrich and Kurt sat beside each other playing some sort of video game. The only sounds the boys made were grunts of disapproval or small sighs of triumph. Louisa was concentrated on her phone, so much so that Maria doubted that she would even notice if a fire started in the room. Brigitta seemed very content with her book, it looked to be some sort of mystery novel and Maria briefly wondered if it was age appropriate. Gretl and Marta's squeals while they played were the only sounds that filled the room.

The awkward and tension filled hours had ended once Mrs. Schmidt had found them. Maria was glad to be able to leave the children for a little while. She needed to think about how to break down the walls they had so clearly built up.

When Mrs. Schmidt had finished showing Maria her room and left her to settle in, Maria began to feel the anger rise up in her chest. Those children were basically left on their own. They were cared for in terms of food, shelter, and clothes yes, but even with their stoic attitudes Maria could see they were deprived of affection.

She couldn't imagine a father neglecting their children so harshly. Not that she had much to go by. After her parents had died and she was sent to a distant uncle, she was frequently neglected. But her parents would have given her the world, her father especially. She was his little girl and he would have gone to the ends of the Earth for her. It made it difficult for her to imagine why this man had iced out his children entirely.

She understood to some degree that he would be upset about losing his wife, but wasn't that more of a reason to stand by your children and keep them close? Perhaps not.

He was an enigma in himself, she reflected.

When she had turned in the foyer to be met with a pair of piercing blue eyes that had been imprinted on her mind for months, she could hardly believe it. Of all the jobs, she had stumbled under the employ of a man she had barely known, but a man she had a history with. If you could call it a history.

She remembered that February night quite clearly, despite the few martinis she had consumed. She could remember how warm and kind he had been that night. He had indulged her with his stories of travel and adventures and had listened to her list off all the places she wanted to go and why. She had found herself smitten after only a couple of hours in his presence.

He was strikingly handsome, she had realized that within minutes of him spilling that drink on her. Tall, dark hair slicked back, bright blue eyes, and boyish dimples to top it all off. Maria didn't have much experience with men, but she knew a handsome man when she saw one.

She had no expectations, of course. He was just a man who felt guilty about drenching her in martini, so he tried to follow it up with kindness. She hadn't really expected him to follow her outside. But he had. And for the life of her she would never be able to forget what had happened next.

They had just been talking and then suddenly, he was everywhere. His lips were on hers and his hands seemed to be all over her and nowhere at once. She had been shocked when he first kissed her, wary even. But he made her knees go week and her brain turn to mush. She couldn't have stopped him if she wanted to. He made her feel things she couldn't even describe and her whole body kept screaming for _more_.

And then it all stopped. Just as she had felt his hand travelling to an intimate area of her body, he was pulling away at the sound of his name. Maria had never felt so embarrassed. She had been pushed up against a wall and trapped like some sort of animal while his lips relentlessly kissed her over and over. But the worst part, was that she had let it happen. She had meant it when she told him she didn't do things like that. She had never done anything like that in her entire life, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't forget it either.

She had walked away from him that night, feeling ashamed and horrified at her actions. She had thought about looking for her friend, Jane, back in the nightclub, but all she wanted to do was leave. She wanted to make it back to her dorm room and just go to sleep, to try and forget about the whole incident. But sleep had never found her that night, or for many days afterwards. Jane, being her roommate, noticed quickly that there was something wrong with Maria when she stumbled into the dorm the next morning, but Maria claimed she had drank a little too much.

She avoided all of Jane's questions about what she had done and where she had gone to, instead asking Jane how her night was. Jane was a talker, she loved telling stories, so it was easy to get her off track. Maria had absently listened to Jane's tales of what happened the night before in the nightclub, but her mind kept coming back to a pair of hauntingly blue eyes and a set of unnaturally soft lips.

The next few months, Maria buried herself in homework. She was determined to distract herself from any thoughts of Georg and that night. She was relentless. She studied harder than she had ever before, purely because if she gave herself a moment of ease, he would always return to her thoughts.

The nights were the hardest. She would fall asleep trying desperately to get him out of her mind for long enough to get some peace. But she never found peace. He began to show up in her dreams only days after the incident. She would dream about running into him in the most random places. She would be on her way to class or at the store, and there he was, all tall, broad shouldered, and handsome, just staring her down with those beautiful eyes.

The dreams contained no substance. She never talked to him, she never touched him, he was just there, watching her. It unnerved her deeply in both her subconscious and her conscious mind.

Her final semester came and went, and she had passed all her finals with high grades. She was content, happy even with the fact that she was finished school. But she hadn't given much thought to where she would go afterwards. She needed money. She needed a job. School was only just ending for children, so it wasn't likely for her to get a teaching job just yet. She had found ads online for summer school instructors, so she applied. But she kept her options open.

It was pure luck, or perhaps bad luck no that she thought about it, that she had stumbled upon the governess position in Aigen. It paid more handsomely than any of the summer school teaching positions and was a great way to get some experience. She applied and was contacted only days later.

Imagine her surprise when she found out that the children she was to teach and care for over the summer were the children of the man who had been haunting her dreams.

Over time, she had let her frustration at the memories of that night turn in to resentment towards Georg. He had made the first move, he had kept kissing her like her life depended on it, he had infiltrated her every thought. When she saw him again, she wanted to throttle him. She wanted to scream at him and ask her why he had done this to her, why she couldn't close her eyes without his image popping up clearly behind her eyelids. But she didn't do any of those things.

Maria had tried desperately to keep herself composed even though she felt like her heart was beating a mile a minute. She thought briefly about quitting while they stared at each other in disbelief, but she needed the money and the experience, and she had already made the commitment to the job.

And then he opened his mouth and all the warmth and kindness was gone. He was condescending and arrogant and Maria wanted to smack him when he spoke of the rules he had for his children. He kept them caged like animals. They were forced to study and read all day with a brief outdoor interlude. It seemed as if he were running a ship rather than a household. But, Maria mused, with his Navy background, which she was surprised to find out about, perhaps running his house like a ship was second nature to him.

She didn't approve, but they weren't her children. She had to tell herself to keep her comments to herself while he prattled on about discipline. No wonder they were so hostile! They weren't even treated like children, but rather like machines.

It was like he was a completely different person. He was nothing like the man she had met that night. He was cold and intimidating and he didn't want to hear anything she had to say. Perhaps that made it easier. She might be able to pretend like nothing had happened between them if he acted like a complete ass.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and reached into her pocket to grab her phone. She turned it on, looking at the time. Mrs. Schmidt had told her that dinner was at six, which was half an hour away. She looked down at her clothes. She supposed she should change, considering Georg's adamant dislike for such casual attire. His pompous attitude agitated her.

She walked over to the small suitcase that held all of her belongings. She grunted as she lifted it to set it on the foot of the bed. She unzipped the case and opened it, looking through the articles of clothing. She didn't have many clothes, she had never needed many. Maria wasn't fashion oriented when she shopped. She opted for clothes that were functional and comfortable, clothes she could wear wherever she went.

She dug through, pulling out clothes to look at before placing them on the bed with a frown. She only paused when her hands rested on a white blouse. It was the blouse she had worn that night. Her frown deepened on her face at the memory. She had kept it. She had removed the stain, which was quite easy considering the drink he had spilled on her was clear. She hadn't worn it again, though, feeling as though if she wore it, she would be able to feel his fingers caress her through the material.

She tossed the shirt aside before pulling out a lavender blouse and a pair of dark jeans. It wasn't exactly the most elegant, but it was better than what she had on at the moment. How dressed up did she have to get for dinner anyhow?

She slipped out of her clothes and put on the newly chosen outfit. She figured she should freshen up a little before dinner. In all honesty, she was rather nervous to be sitting down for a meal with all of the children and Georg. While she didn't usually care about her appearance, Georg obviously cared about the presentation of his employees. And whether or not she thought he was an ass, she was still her boss and she wanted to live up to his standards as best as she could.

She grabbed her hair brush from her bag and walked over to the door of the attached bathroom. Upon opening the door, she caught a whiff of something that smelled quite terrible. It almost smelt as if something were rotting in the bathroom.

Cautiously, she looked in the sink. There was nothing suspicious. She glanced into the toilet, but again, there was nothing. Pulling back the shower curtain, she peered in, and there it was; a dead fish laying in the bottom of the tub.

Maria wrinkled her nose at the sight and smell of the fish. She asked herself how it would have gotten there but it only took a few seconds for the answer to appear before her. The children. Their goal was obviously to drive her away. While the toad hadn't worked, she supposed they had thought a dead fish might do the trick.

Her next question was what she should do with it. She couldn't very well leave it there to rot in the tub. She needed to get rid of it somehow. She thought briefly about flushing it down the toilet, but it looked to be a rather large trout; flushing it would likely just cause pluming issues. She could take it outside, she thought. She could throw it back in the lake, where she suspected it came from. It was definitely not the best way to dispose of the creature, but it seemed like the best idea she had, especially because she knew she was running out of time before she was expected for dinner.

While she wasn't happy that the children had pulled something like this in hopes of Maria's departure, she didn't want to get them in trouble. She certainly wouldn't earn their trust if she snitched on them on her first day.

She sprang into action, picking up the fish in a cream-colored towel she grabbed off one of the shelves. Slowly and carefully, she retrieved it from the bottom of the tub, trying her hardest to keep the bile from rising in her throat. She walked to her bedroom door, opening it just enough to peer into the hallway to make sure no one was coming. Satisfied that there was no one around, she quietly made her way through the corridor and down the stairs.

Maria tiptoed across the foyer to the back door, opening and closing one of the doors with the upmost care. The last thing she needed was one of the children, the staff, or god forbid, Georg to catch her walking around with a dead fish.

She took hasty steps across the terrace, down the steps, and to the lake. It was a beautiful day, she mused. She loved days where the sun shone warmly against her skin while a cool breeze caressed her hair. She loved watching the green of the earth dance in the wind. She loved looking at flowers of all colors and sizes as they bloomed with impressive speed. She did not, however, enjoy any of this while the rancid smell of a rotting fish wafted up into her nostrils.

Taking one quick look over both shoulders, she was satisfied that no one was around. She leaned over the iron gate and let the fish free from the towel and into the lake with a plop. She watched as its lifeless body bobbed away from shore.

She sighed in relief. At least that was taken care of. Now all she had to do was try to make it on time for dinner. She made her way back inside and up the stairs, feeling extremely lucky that she hadn't passed anyone on the way back to her room.

As she closed the bedroom door behind her, she looked down at her clothes and gasped. The fish guts had slipped through the towel and had run down the front of her shirt and the right leg of her jeans. _How perfect_, she thought grimly. Hastily, she slipped out of the clothes she had just put on and threw them in the hamper in the bathroom, along with the now bloodied towel she had wrapped the fish in. She briefly wondered how she was going to explain the state of the towel when someone came to collect the laundry, but she decided she didn't have the time to dwell on it. That would be a problem for another time.

She was back to looking through her clothes. Most of her remaining options were t-shirts and jumpers. Her button downs were limited to the lavender one and the white one, the latter she refused to wear in front of him. She placed a hand on the top of her head and huffed. She was _definitely_ going to be late.

Her eyes fell on one of two of the dresses she owned. It was a light blue color with short sleeves and a skirt that reached down to about her knees. She had always loved that dress. Perhaps it was her most suitable option for dinner. It was simple yet elegant enough that Georg should have no verbal objections to her choice.

She slipped the dress on with as much speed as she could. Well she looked presentable, but she still smelled a little like dead fish guts. Digging through her suitcase, she found a small bottle of perfume. Jane had gifted it to her for her birthday. She sprayed once into the air and walked through the invisible cloud of smell. She hoped it would do.

Maria checked the time again. It was five after six. She groaned as she ran through the door, almost sprinting down the stairs. Mrs. Schmidt had said that the dining room was through the second door on the left in the foyer and then down the hall. She quickened her pace, stopping suddenly at an archway to see eight pairs of eyes on her. Georg narrowed her eyes at her before turning his body in his seat to face forwards.

"How nice of you to finally join us," she heard Georg say, not even attempting to keep the ice out of his voice. The room was silent, aside from the drumming of the fingers of his left hand on the table as he waited for her to be seated. She looked across the table to the only seat that remained open, the seat at the head of the table facing him. She tried desperately not to audibly sigh her frustration as she made her way in that direction.

"Good evening children," she said, actively ignoring Georg as she took a seat. The children all gave her a quick glance. The discomfort was clear on their faces. She immediately felt guilty about being late, even if it was the children's fault to some degree. She couldn't imagine sitting in a silent room left just with Georg and his agitation. She gathered it was a point of anxiety for the children.

"Good evening," their voices came in strained mumbles.

She kept her eyes averted from the other end of the table. It was bad enough she had to sit through a meal with him, it was worse that he was in her direct line of sight.

The food was already placed in front of each person at the table. It looked to be quite healthy portions of veal, potatoes, and mixed vegetables. Maria smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually eaten a home cooked meal. Without a word the children and Georg all picked up their utensils, digging into their meals.

Maria bowed her head and closed her eyes, giving silent thanks to the Lord for the food in front of her, as she did at every meal. When she finished, she made the mistake of looking up to find Georg's eyes on her, an eyebrow quirked in question. She averted her eyes immediately, not wanting to prolong any sort of eye contact with him. She picked up her fork and began to eat her vegetables.

Everyone was silent as they ate, and it was unnerving to Maria. All that could be heard was the clicking of utensils and the steady ticking of the clock that sat near the doorway of the dining room. Maria wasn't used to silence while she was surrounded by people. After four years living on a college campus, she had never known quiet. She needed the noise, because without it, she was only left with her thoughts. Considering the constant intruder of her thoughts was sitting on the other side of the table, they were a dangerous thing to be left with.

"I hope you children enjoyed your reading this afternoon," she started, hoping that one of them might speak up. She was disappointed when she was only met with noncommittal grunts of reluctant agreement. "Although it was rather beautiful out this afternoon, it was a shame to be inside."

She heard a groan come from the other end of the table. She looked up to see Georg shooting daggers at her, his fingers clenching around his fork as he held it in midair. She shot back a glare of her own and was satisfied when he looked away, instead shoveling some potatoes onto his fork and putting them in his mouth. She regretted letting her gaze linger.

Her throat suddenly felt dry and her nerve stood on end as she watched his lips close around the fork. She noticed some of the potatoes had not entirely made it into his mouth, but rather smeared on his bottom lip and she felt her heart jump around in her chest when his tongue flicked out to clean it off.

How was she supposed to make it through dinner like this? She didn't like the man, not after his show cold indifference to his children and herself this afternoon, but did he have to eat like _that_? She needed a distraction desperately at this point.

"This afternoon would have been a great day to go fishing," she said as she scrambled for something to break the tension in the room. She instantly regretted saying the words. She felt as if she had ratted out the children without directly saying anything to incriminate them. She watched seven anxious eyes flick in her direction before glancing back at their father. Luckily, Georg didn't seem to want to delve into her words any further.

"Are you always this chatty during mealtimes, Ms. Rainer?" Georg asked with a sarcastic smile pulling at the corners of his lips. His eyes were back on her, and she began to feel small under his scrutiny.

"I'm afraid I was brought up being taught that mealtimes are the perfect time to talk about your day, Captain," she retorted, looking back down at her meal and eating some of her own potatoes.

"I personally believe that mealtimes are the best time for _quiet_ contemplation." His emphasis on quiet did not unnoticed by Maria. She looked back and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I think after an entire day of being quiet, sir, the children may have some things to say." She knew she was crossing a line. No matter how subtly, she was questioning his parenting. By the dangerous look in his eyes, she knew her opinions weren't appreciated. She couldn't bring herself to care; she had always been outspoken, no matter how much trouble it got her into. She spoke her mind, especially about what she believed to be right and wrong. She believed keeping his children in silence all day was surely wrong.

"Is that what you think? Funny, I can't recall asking your opinion on the matter," his eyes were burning into hers with a fire dancing in his enlarged pupils. His barbs wouldn't frighten her, she told herself. She wasn't about to back down. These children had no one to stand up for them, and it was her job to teach and care for them. Maria felt that part of caring for them was to advocate for them, if no one else would. She opened her mouth to retort but she was cut off.

"Father, I'm feeling unwell. May I be excused?" It was Liesl who spoke. Maria had seen the girl checking her phone under the table from the corned of her eye and she instantly grew suspicious. Liesl had smiled down at her lap before asking to be excused. That could only mean one thing; a boy.

"I suppose. But before you go, I have something to tell you all. I'm leaving for Vienna in the morning," Georg announced before taking a healthy sip of his wine. Maria was surprised, though maybe she shouldn't have been. Mrs. Schmidt had told her that he wasn't around very often, that he took off after being home for a few days. It was as if he were running away. Maria's eyes followed Liesl as the young woman slipped out of the room, seemingly unnoticed by her siblings and her father.

"Again, father?"

"But you just came back!"

"Is it to visit your girlfriend again?"

At Louisa's comment, Maria's head snapped away from the archway where Liesl had disappeared from. Girlfriend? He was seeing someone? She shouldn't care, it's not like she _liked_ him in any manner, but she was rather shocked that he was seeing someone. The thought made her chest feel heavy. How long had he been seeing her?

"I'm going to stay with Elsa and Max, for your information Louisa. I have some business up in Vienna I have to take care of." His eyes flitted across the faces of his children and Maria swore she could see a hint of shame behind those deep blue irises. For a moment, she wondered if he had gotten so used to running away from his home and his family after his wife's passing that he just didn't know how to stay.

"Will we ever get to meet Mrs. Schraeder? You've been going up to see her for years. I want to meet her!" Marta exclaimed, inadvertently answering Maria's silent question. Georg shot his daughter a look and she immediately looked back down at her plate. Maria felt her blood turn to ice, and her hand holding her fork froze in midair. For years? He had been seeing this woman for years? Plural? Did that mean he was involved with another woman that night she had met him? The thoughts intruded her mind so quickly she began to feel dizzy.

"Erm, maybe I'll bring Elsa down for a visit soon. With Uncle Max," he said quickly, obviously trying to dismiss the conversation. Maria didn't miss the awkward glance he shot at her from the corner of his eye, but she said nothing. She couldn't say anything. She felt frozen. She felt guilt rise in her chest and threaten to swallow her whole at the thought that he was committed to another woman on the night they – she didn't really know what to call it. She felt… dirty.

Maria blinked several times before averting her eyes back to her plate, attempting to shake the thoughts clouding her mind. _Just finish your dinner and then you can get away_, she thought to herself. She cut into her veal, shovelling food into her mouth as quickly as possible while still maintaining some composure. She just wanted to leave. She needed to leave. She could feel Georg's eyes on her, trying to gage her reaction, but she refused to meet his eyes. She just couldn't look at him. She didn't know if she would be able to look at herself after what she had learned.

While Georg may have thought that night was insignificant, it wasn't to Maria. Yes, she wanted to forget about it, she prayed every night that she would be able to forget the feeling of his lips and the smell of his cologne and the press of his body against hers. But it wasn't insignificant. She had never had an encounter like that, not in her twenty-three years on the earth. She was embarrassed that she had let it happen, she was angry that he had let it happen, but both of those feelings were escalated at the thought that he was with another woman that night.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she hastily ate her dinner. She didn't look up from her plate for the rest of the meal, afraid she would meet a pair of piercing blue eyes that would be able to read her thoughts. Even after she finished her meal, she kept her eyes glued to her plate.

"Children, you may be excused," his voice announced. There was the sound of chairs scraping against the floor as the seven children were eager to retreat from the room. Maria couldn't blame them, she wanted to leave just as desperately. She slowly, and rather unsteadily, rose from her chair.

"Ms. Rainer," she heard him address her, in a surprisingly soft tone, and she stilled. Was he going to say something about that night? Try and justify his actions? Was he going to apologize? No, she couldn't listen to any of these things. Not now. Not when her brain was already in overload trying to process this new information.

"Captain, I really must be going to my room. I have a lot of unpacking to do," she said, her voice unsteady as her legs. She looked in his direction, but not at him. She looked passed his head to the antique clock behind him. It was easier that way. From the corner of her eye, she watched him open his mouth as if he were going to say something but quickly shut it again.

"Of course. Goodnight, Ms. Rainer," he said, dismissing her. She felt relief pump through her veins, and she walked towards the hall.

"Goodnight, Captain," she muttered as she passed his sitting figure on her way out of the room. She just wanted to go to her room and lay down. Maybe she would listen to some music or read a book. She just wanted something that would take her mind away from _him_ and that night.

She was unlucky, however, to bump into Mrs. Schmidt in the foyer before she could retreat up the stairs.

"Ms. Rainer! My dear, how are you settling in?" the older woman asked as she approached Maria. Maria couldn't help but let a small smile form on her lips, the woman had a kind face and had been very helpful during the whole process of Maria coming into the new household.

"Quite well, I suppose. I'm afraid the children haven't warmed up to me quite yet," she said with a breathy chuckle.

"Oh, don't worry. It takes some time. They really are sweet children, once you get to know them. And you are a very kind and patient young woman, as far as I can tell. I have every faith that with time, they'll warm up to you," Mrs. Schmidt told her with such genuine conviction that Maria felt like she could cry.

"Thank you, Mrs. Schmidt."

"I think it will be a little easier while the Captain is out of town. He leaves for Vienna in the morning," Mrs. Schmidt told her, her brows raised.

"Oh, yes. He mentioned that," Maria said a little awkwardly, shifting her eyes to the nearest wall. She couldn't stop the question that escaped from her lips. "Does he often go up to see, erm, Mrs. Schraeder?"

"He has been going up there to stay with her on and off for the past two years. Sometimes he stays for a week, sometimes for a month. While he hasn't confirmed it, I have every belief that they are getting rather serious. I shouldn't be telling you this, but I trust that you won't say a word to anyone, I've got my money on the fact that he will propose by the end of the summer!" Mrs. Schmidt exclaimed. Maria's heart sunk. He had been in a relationship for two years. He was practically engaged even! And yet, he had still made a move on her at that nightclub only three months ago. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

"Well it would be lovely for the children to have a mother again," Maria said halfheartedly. She felt deflated, exhausted, and hurt. How could he do such a thing?

"Yes, well, that's if he ever brings her to meet them. Though I'm sure it will come with time. Now I really must get going, Franz has taken it upon himself to dust this evening and knowing Franz, he will have accumulated more dust than when he started! Have a good night, dear," and with that, Mrs. Schmidt was walking in the direction of the sitting room Maria had sat with the children in earlier.

Maria let out a breath she hadn't know she was holding in. She felt betrayed, though she didn't suppose she had the right to. She hadn't asked if he was seeing anyone on that night. She hadn't even thought about it. How naïve she had been! Just because he had been kind to her that night, she had believed him to be a good man. She thought that his warmth and kindness were genuine. She felt like a fool believing that now. He was arrogant, pig-headed, egotistical, smug, and a complete ass, if she was being frank.

She couldn't believe that she had fallen for his good looks and charm that night. She had heard stories from Jane over the years about naïve, young college girls falling for the charms of handsome older men. The stories never had a happy ending. Maria had thought herself to be above falling for such an act, but now she felt like a cliché.

Shaking her head at her never-ending thoughts, Maria decided to walk up to her room. As she ascended the stairs, she thanked God that he would be leaving in the morning. At least she wouldn't have to endure him any further for a couple of weeks.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, we hear from Maria! This chapter was quite difficult to write. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with it, but the more I go over it, the more I feel like I'm driving myself crazy.**

**Thank you again to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. Every review makes me smile. **

**Somehow, this story is coming together rather quickly. I'm producing about a chapter a day. So for those of you enjoying this story, you won't have to wait long for another chapter.**


	4. Chapter Four

The word to describe Georg in this very moment was agitated. He sat with his elbows perched on his mahogany desk, his chin resting on his clasped hands, and a glass of untouched brandy sitting in front of him. He was still as a rod; unable to move, unable to think clearly. He replayed dinner over in his mind for what seemed like the hundredth time since he left the table, over two hours ago.

He couldn't say that he was surprised that she was late to dinner. He'd even suspected before he had reached the dining table that she would, in fact, be late for dinner. He was actually grateful for the fact that she was so late. The more he focused on how much her tardiness agitated him, the less he focused on anything else about her. Unfortunately, his agitation could only distract him from so much.

When she had walked into the dining room, he had a hard time maintaining his composure. Gone were the paint stained jeans and the oversized t-shirt. She was wearing a light summer dress that complimented her in the best ways. Its color brought out her eyes and the material hugged her in all the right places. He tried very hard, but ultimately failed, to keep his eyes away from her long, creamy legs.

He cursed himself for looking at her. He was supposed to be indifferent, he wasn't supposed to notice how beautifully her dress complimented her. He cursed himself again for feeling attraction towards the woman. He was very glad to be leaving in the morning.

And then she had walked passed him and he caught that scent of lavender and vanilla he had smelt all those months ago, and he almost lost it. He wanted to walk out of the room and lock himself in his study to catch his breath until he could leave the house. His resolve was slowly crumbling, quite literally, before his eyes as she took the seat opposite of him.

He had hoped to be able to start his dinner and get the meal over with as quickly as possible. The sooner the meal was over, the sooner he could retreat to the solitude of his study where there wouldn't be any long legs or rosy lips to test his control.

But then he noticed her pray just before she started eating and the curiosity ate away at him. Was she religious? He hadn't known she was religious, but then again, he didn't know a lot about her besides her desire to travel and the taste of her lips. He shook his head at that last thought. He needed to stop thinking about her like that, he needed to stop thinking about her at all. She was just the governess until his children finally drove her way, and that's all there was to it.

He hadn't noticed he was staring until she caught his eye. For a split second, he tried to read what was going on behind those sky-blue eyes, but she quickly shifted her gaze to look anywhere but at him. He inwardly groaned. He shouldn't be looking at her at all. But his eyes lingered as he watched her take a forkful of the mixed vegetables into her mouth. He thought his self control was going to shatter then and there. He had averted his eyes quickly, willing his body to catch up with his mind. _She is the governess, she has no importance to you other than to teach and watch over your children_, he forced himself to recite in his mind.

He started eating, focusing on the food rather than on his thoughts. Every couple bites, he would take a sip of his wine, hoping it would calm his frenzied state of mind. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, he had thought to himself after a few moments of silence at the table. And then she had started talking.

Georg was used to silence during dinners in his home. His children didn't speak, likely not knowing what to say without causing him some annoyance. While it hurt his heart that he made them feel that way, he enjoyed the silence. He liked being able to enjoy a meal with no noise or distractions, he could focus solely on his food.

Maria obviously thought differently. She said some nonsense about the weather that made him groan and shoot a glare at her, silently willing her to be quiet. But she had kept talking. When he suggested that they eat in silence, she wasn't having it. There she was questioning his parenting again.

He was infuriated. To question his parenting was one thing, to question his parenting in front of his own children was completely unacceptable. Though, the war of words had ended abruptly when Liesl claimed illness. She had been doing that a lot lately, he reflected.

He thought it had been the perfect opportunity to change the subject and announce that he was leaving in the morning. What he had not expected, was his children's resistance to the idea and their embarrassing comments about Elsa being his girlfriend.

He knew Maria had heard the words and had been upset by them. She had avoided his eyes ever since Marta had revealed he had been seeing Elsa for a couple of years. He felt ashamed. He wanted to explain to Maria that it wasn't like that, that he wasn't like that.

He shouldn't care about hurting her, he thought, she was only an employee now, nothing more. But he did care for some obscure reason. He didn't want her thinking that he had taken advantage of her while he was committed to another. But that's pretty much what he had done. The rest of dinner, Georg had spent kicking himself for getting into such a mess. He tried to form the words to explain it to her, to justify what had happened.

He excused his children hoping that he could explain himself to her, but she had brushed him off. It was probably for the best. Explaining himself would have only addressed the situation, which neither of them really wanted to do. So, she walked away, leaving him sitting at the dinner table trying to figure out what had just happened.

He sat there for a few minutes until Franz had walked in, claiming he needed to dust. Georg was sure Franz didn't even know how to dust, at least not properly, but left the room with a nod.

The sound of thunder rumbling through the walls of the house was enough to shake him out of his reflection. Georg sighed heavily against his clasped hands as he felt his eyes grow heavy. He was tired of replaying the hurt he saw in her eyes as she retreated from the room. He was tired of feeling guilty.

He unclasped his hands and grabbed the glass of bourbon that sat in front of him. He brought the glass to his lips and swallowed the drink in one sip. Perhaps that would help distract his mind. He set the glass down on his desk, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the mahogany. He reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out his phone. He had a message from Elsa and a message from Max. He unlocked his phone to look at the messages. He opened Elsa's first.

_Elsa: I can't wait to see you tomorrow xx. [Sent at 8:34 p.m.]_

He cringed inwardly. Again, he had not thought of Elsa since before dinner. He needed to get his thoughts in order. He knew he should be thinking about seeing her tomorrow and spending a few days, or perhaps a few weeks, in her company. His fingers began to type out a response.

_To Elsa: Me neither. Until tomorrow, though, sweet dreams. [Sent at 8:48 p.m.]_

He smiled as he sent the text. Tomorrow he would be away from here, he would be away from _her_ and he could focus solely on Elsa, the person he should be focusing on. He opened Max's message next.

_Max: You should bring a couple bottles of that 1935 Bordeaux from your cellar for your visit. I'm afraid I've run Elsa dry. [Sent at 8:43 p.m.]_

Georg rolled his eyes. Max hadn't been to his home in years, and yet he still ran Georg's cellar dry. It seemed that every time Georg went to visit, Max would request a couple bottles of some vintage of wine before Georg would start his commute. He made a mental note to grab a couple bottles in the morning before he left. Now, all he wanted to do was lay down in his bed and go to sleep. He felt completely and utterly drained after the excitement of the day, and he had to get an early start in the morning.

He stood from his chair, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. He left his jacket and tie, which had long been discarded, on the back of his desk chair. As he did every night that he was home, he turned off the desk lamp, slid his laptop into the bottom drawer of his desk, turned off the lights, and locked the door to his study. It was a small but steady ritual that he took comfort in doing.

He made his way through the foyer, leisurely ascending the stairs, when he picked up a sound he hadn't heard in a very long time. For a moment he thought he must be imaging things but there it was again. It was the sound of children's laughter.

He stopped in his tracks and strained to hear. He could hear voices and laughter and singing. He checked his watch. It was nearly nine o'clock. No one should be up at this hour, let alone laughing and singing and causing a ruckus. A frown formed itself deeply on his features as he tried to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from.

It sounded like they were coming from the governess's room.

He felt the agitation begin to boil in his blood as he took the stairs two at a time and made his down the corridor past the children's rooms. The door was ajar. As he peered in, what he saw equally shocked and confused him. Some of his children were perched on the bed, others were dancing around giggling, while the governess sang some ridiculous song about kittens and strudel. He couldn't see her, but he could hear her musical laugh as she made her way through the childish lyrics.

His heart hammered in his chest. He felt the blood pump furiously in his veins. Had he not told her that bedtime was not to be breached under any circumstances? He was sure he had. He took a step toward the room to give her a piece of his mind but stopped short when she came into view.

His blood ran cold in his veins. She was wearing a pair of shorts that ended high up on her thighs and tank top with thin straps. He let out an inaudible moan. This was complete and utter torture. He was stuck staring at her as if he had never seen a woman before. Flashes of creamy skin flitted about the room. Toned legs pranced about as she swayed his youngest daughter in her arms, before she carefully set her back down. The tank top was not entirely revealing, it was rather modest, but it showed enough to leave Georg's mouth unbearably dry.

For a moment he forgot about all sense. He just wanted to touch her, to feel if her skin was as soft as it looked. He wanted to see what she was hiding under that tank top. He wanted to send his children out of the room, lock the door, and pick up where they left off three months ago. He ran a hand down his face as he felt the heat prickle on his skin. What was he thinking? He should _not_ be thinking about her like this, or at all for that matter.

He needed to stop this before he lost all of his control. He took a step into the room, revealing himself from the shadows. The children were the first to notice him. They all stopped their laughter and dancing. They froze, standing still as statues. But Maria seemed to be blissfully unaware of his presence, until she nearly toppled him over.

In the chaos of her dancing, she spun in his direction, only to notice he was standing there at the last second. She collided with him, hard. He felt her, quite literally, knock the breath from his lungs. Georg's hands instinctively went out to catch her and they landed on her hips. He choked back a groan when he felt his thumbs slide just barely under her tank top, making contact with a sliver of soft skin.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. She stood still, her eyes wide as she gaped at him, her cheeks darkening in hues of pick with each passing second. Her hands were rested on his upper arms to hold herself up. He was frozen in place, unable to move away as her torso grazed against his own. His entire body screamed. He wanted to pull her to him, to close the small distance between them, to have her flush against him, just to feel her.

His mind was racing with all the thoughts he had tried so hard to push away. His eyes were stuck on the sight of her parted lips. How easy it would be to just lean in and… No, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He searched his brain for the very logical reasons he could not take his thoughts any further.

First off, he was leaving in the morning to see another woman, a woman he was as good as in a relationship with.

Second, he had sworn to forget about the situation. He had told himself repeatedly over the day that he would _not_ think of her like that. He was her boss for goodness' sake. There were several circumstances that made it unethical and inappropriate to be attracted to her.

Lastly, and possibly strongest reason, his seven children were in the room staring at the two adults with wide eyes.

The thought of the children broke the spell that had been casted over his mind. He came here to send them back to their rooms, not to feel up their governess.

He inhaled deeply for the first time in what felt like hours before taking his hands off her hips and stepping back as if he had been burned. He did feel like his body was burning when her hands slipped off his arms in a lingering manner. He fought off an involuntary shudder.

"I thought I made the rules about bedtime clear," he muttered, his voice raspy. He looked back at his children. The youngest looked fearful, the boys stood straight, avoiding his eyes. Louisa and Liesl were looking at their feet, while Brigitta looked between her father and governess with a quizzical look. He cleared his throat.

"Go back to bed," he said, his voice coming out softer than he had intended. He cleared his throat again, hoping to regain control of his voice before he gave the insubordinate governess a piece of his mind. The children filed out of the room as quickly as they could to leave their governess to the repercussions. Georg spared a glance at Maria, who was looking at the closet doors next to her, her arms crossed over her chest in a failing attempt to cover herself.

"I did tell you that bedtime was at eight o'clock, with no exceptions, did I not?" He felt like he was repeating himself. He should have just left the room. He shouldn't have stayed. His body burned everywhere that he had been in contact with her. His arms burned, his chest was on fire, and his hands felt as if he had just held them on a hot stove top for an hour.

"You did," she replied, still not looking away from the direction of the closet. He felt the increasing need for her to look at him.

"And am I wrong in thinking that those instructions should be simple to follow?" He asked. At his question, her eyes wandered in his direction, but did not meet his. Her gaze stayed firmly on his chest. Her cheeks were still flushed, he noted.

"They are simple, sir. But the children were frightened by the storm. Surely you don't expect them to sit in their rooms, scared and alone?" she asked rhetorically. It was a trap. She was trying to trap him in this verbal spar. He wasn't going to take it. He couldn't let her win. She had nearly torn down his control in a matter of a minute, and he needed it back.

"As I told you this afternoon, Ms. Rainer, discipline is a pillar in this household. I expect you to follow the rules that I set out, as that is what you are getting paid to do." He was staring straight at her when her eyes met his.

"Yes, sir," was all she said back to him, likely hoping that he would leave. He knew he should, he knew that was a signal to the end of the conversations, but his traitorous feet wouldn't move. His legs felt like jelly.

"I do hope that when I return, the rules of my house will be followed by _everyone _under my roof," he said. He didn't know why he was prolonging such a painful conversation. It wasn't doing him any good, especially looking at her while she was dressed like that.

"I'll do my best, Captain," she replied noncommittally. He narrowed his eyes. Somehow, he felt that her best would still not being adhering to his rules.

"Good," he said as he forced his feet to move. He turned on his heel, ready to make his way out the door when he remembered something. He was leaving Aigen for God knows how long and he had no way to contact her directly. She was caring for his children, and if anything were to happen, he would want to know about it. He sighed and turned back to face her. "There is something I forgot to do earlier."

"What's that?" she asked, looking down at her bare feet. He shifted from foot to foot, his eyes flickering around the room.

"I, uh, I need to put my phone number in your phone," he muttered, rubbing his palm at his neck. Her eyes snapped up to meet his, wide as saucers. "Just in case there's an emergency with the children. It doesn't happen often, but if one of them gets sick or hurt or something happens, I would rather you had a way to contact me."

She eyed him carefully as if trying to determine that what he was saying was true. He shifted again under her scrutiny. After a moment, she let out a small sigh and turned her back to him to reach over to the nightstand table. He shifted his eyes to look at the ceiling to avoid his gaze lingering on her backside. _You really aren't making this easy, are you?_ he thought heavenward.

She picked up her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to him before crossing her arms over her chest again. He opened her contacts and began to add his number, not even bothering adding a contact name. He wasn't sure how to put himself in her phone. Would he put himself as Georg? Or Captain? He wasn't sure, so he decided to let her set his contact name. Though he had a sneaky feeling the name she was going to set for him wouldn't be at all nice.

"There," he said, handing her phone back to her. He was careful not to accidentally touch her hand as he did so. "Please only use it for emergencies."

"Yes, sir," she said but he caught the little eye roll she gave him. He thought about saying something, but he would rather not prolong the awkwardness any further than he had already. He nodded curtly and walked to the door, gripping the door knob.

"Goodnight, Ms. Rainer," he said for the second time that night.

"Goodnight, Captain," she muttered back. He gave her one final glance before closing the door. Hearing the click, he let out a breath. He stood outside her door for a moment, trying to shake off the uneasiness that was prominent in his chest.

The encounter they had just shared was unsettling to him. He had _touched_ her again, and he felt as if her skin had burned right through his hands. His raised a hand to his face, flexing his fingers as he did so. It looked completely normal. But then why did he feel his skin tingle where he had touched her?

He shook his head and focused on drawing in breath. His lungs felt tight, he felt as if the air was being sucked right from his chest. He swept his shaking hand through his hair before lowering back down to his side. He just needed to go to bed.

Quickly, he walked back to his room, which was on the far end of the corridor. Once he was in his own room, he let his body relax. His shoulders lowered, releasing the tension that had built in them during the unsettling encounter. He just had to get through the night, and then he would be gone. He would be out of the house. He wouldn't have to see Maria. He would be able to find some peace, with some luck.

He stripped out of his shoes and socks before removing his shirt, belt, and pants. He grabbed his phone and keys from his pocket and placed them on the bedside table before throwing his dirty clothes in the hamper. He sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand over his face, desperately willing his arms to stop shaking. His phone lighting up next to him caught his attention.

He looked at the screen. It said that he had a text, but he didn't recognize the number. He unlocked his phone and opened the message.

_Unknown Number: A word of advice, next time knock if you want to avoid getting run into. [Sent at 9:13 p.m.]_

This time, Georg did groan aloud. Had he not just told her to only use his number during emergencies? She was contradicting him at every turn, and it infuriated him. But what was worse, was it also aroused him to some degree. The wanting in his body only increased when she defied him. Each time she did the opposite of what he told her, he wanted to show her in the best possible way, that breaking his rules led to consequences.

He placed his phone down on his bedside table with a little more force than necessary before sliding under the silk sheets. He prayed that he would be able to find sleep. He prayed that he wouldn't have another dream to torture him, if only just for one night.

He should have known he wouldn't be so lucky.

* * *

Maria woke with the sun, as she had done everyday since she was a little girl. Upon opening her eyes to the early sun rays drifting through the window, her body sat up with a start as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Her mind calmed after a second when she where she was, only to unsettle again once the memories of the previous day washed over her.

Everything came back to her all at once; the giant house she was now living in, the children she was responsible for, and the cold man under the same roof whose image had left her tossing and turning in her bed for half of the night. She frowned at the memories of the night before.

She had gone to her room after her conversation with Mrs. Schmidt and began unpacking immediately, letting the task at hand control her thoughts. She took more care in putting her things away than she had ever done before, if only to prolong an activity in which she could focus on.

When everything was neatly put away, she changed into her pajamas. The room was warm, so she chose a pair of shorts and a tank top. It wasn't like anyone was going to see her anyhow, right? She was very wrong about that fact.

Not too long after she had settled under her blankets with a book in her hand, a small figure had bolted into her room with excessive force. Maria had looked up bewildered to find Gretl standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear. Just as Maria was about to ask what was wrong, the boom of thunder echoed through the room. That answered her question. The girl was afraid of thunderstorms.

Maria had let Gretl pop up next to her, not seeing the harm. She wasn't about to send a frightful five-year-old girl back to her room to be by herself. It wasn't long after Gretl had climbed up next to Maria that the rest of the children made an entrance, all seemingly discomforted by the raging storm outside.

To say Maria was surprised that all seven of them had chosen to come to her in their fearful states was an understatement. After the dead fish and the awkward dinner, she was sure she would be the last person to go to. But, she reflected, they didn't really have anyone else. Maria couldn't see Georg opening his arms to his children while they cowered from the storm.

Only Liesl seemed to be in a calm state. Although, Maria noticed, her hair looked damp, as if she had recently come in contact with water. She could have just taken a shower, but Maria had her suspicions that the girl had may have gotten caught in the rain after her hasty exit from dinner, possibly with a boy. She would have to ask her about it later.

She allowed the children to sit up with her on the bed as she tried to tell them stories to calm their minds. When that hadn't worked, she turned to song. Her father had always sung to her when she was afraid, and it made her feel infinitely better. The children were receptive at first and before long, they had smiles on their faces as they watched their new governess prance around the room.

It wasn't until she collided with something hard that everything went to hell.

Of course, it was Georg. Of course, he had come to catch her in the act of breaking his ridiculous rules. It was just her luck, after all. But all train of thought was wiped from her mind when his hands came to rest on her hips to steady her and his blue eyes pierced through her.

His state of dress surprised her above all else. His jacket and tie had disappeared, leaving him in just a pair of dark grey slacks and a crisp white shirt. The top few buttons had been undone, exposing a bit of his chest. Maria's mouth went dry when she spotted the chest hairs peeking through.

It had felt like she was stuck frozen for hours as his hands branded her skin, leaving her face hot and flushed. But as quickly as he had caught her, he was pulling away with lightening speed to address his children and dismiss them.

The rest of their encounter was fuzzy to Maria. Her mind had felt clouded after being in such close proximity to him. She only briefly remembered his scolding and asking to put his number in her phone. She had been reluctant when he asked for her phone, but instantly felt silly. It wasn't as if he wanted to talk to her, he just wanted to be sure she could contact him if something happened with the children while he was away.

Looking into his eyes in that moment, she saw, for the first time, a man who cared about his children's well-being. The care she saw in his eyes was enough to make her give in.

After he put in his number, he made a hasty exit and Maria was thankful for that fact. She wasn't sure how much longer she could have been in the room with him before a piece of her began to break.

Once he had left, she looked down at her phone that was still open in her hands. He hadn't put a contact name in. She pondered for a moment about what the most appropriate name to put him under would be. She decided on a simple 'Captain' before saving the number.

Her minded had raced afterwards as she could still smell his earthy cologne in the room. It blurred her vision. Looking back down at the contact, she realized that he didn't have her number. What if there was an emergency and she called him, but he didn't pick up because he didn't recognize the number? How would that help anyone?

She huffed as she sat down on the edge of her bed, typing out a message. She went through many variations of what to sent.

_It's Maria, just so you have my number too._

_Have fun in Vienna._

_You're an ass._

She quickly decided that she didn't like any of these options, although she came within seconds of sending the last one. She didn't want to make it sound awkward, not that she should really care what she sounded like when texting him. She certainly wasn't going to make a habit out of it. After another moment of contemplation, her fingers acted on their own accord.

_A word of advice, next time knock if you want to avoid getting run into._

She hit send before she could stop herself. She willed her mind not to think about having sent a text to him. She groaned before turning out the lights and rolling over to try and get some sleep. It would not be a restful night.

As Maria now sat up in her bed, the sun filtering through in a pink haze, she reached next to her to pick up her phone. It was nearly six thirty. She had enough time to make some tea before she had to get the children up for breakfast. Yes, some tea would hopefully calm her mind a little.

She threw back the covers and swung her legs over the bed, stretching briefly before getting up. She grabbed her robe from inside the bathroom and slipped it on before making her way out the door.

She descended the stairs lazily, covering her mouth as a yawn escaped her. She really wished she had been able to sleep more. Damn Georg for intruding her thoughts.

She moved down the hall, past the dining room and walked into the spacious kitchen. It was quite a beautiful kitchen; white cabinets lined the walls, all the appliances were a dark grey hue, and there was a beautiful long island that stood in the middle of the room. It had to be the most beautiful kitchen that Maria had every been in. the beauty was only highlighted by the orange and pink rays of sunlight bouncing off the marble counter tops.

She had only been in the kitchen once, briefly as Mrs. Schmidt had showed her around, so she started rummaging through the cupboards for cups. She found a cabinet full of all different kind of cups; fine china teacups, large ceramic mugs, and plenty of worn looking travel mugs. She spotted a large light blue mug and pulled it down. She didn't want to risk using one of the fine china teacups.

She flicked on the switch for the kettle that sat next to the stove and left her mug next to it. Now all she had to do was find the tea. She wasn't entirely sure where it would be kept. Mrs. Schmidt had told her she was welcome to anything in the kitchen but had not specified where anything was. She opened a few more cupboards but had no luck.

She stood with her hands on her hips, eyes scanning the kitchen. The room was so large in size with so many different cupboards and cabinets that, at this rate, she could still be looking for tea by lunchtime.

She heard the steady echoes of someone's shoes clicking against the floor towards the kitchen. The sound made her jump. Someone was going to find her in the kitchen, clad only in her pajamas and robe, futilely searching the kitchen for tea. She looked heavenward and prayed that, of all people, it wasn't Georg who was going to find her. But of course, it was.

He paused in the doorway with a startled look on his face as he looked her up and down. It was as if he was trying to figure out if she was really there. He was already dressed for the day in a light grey suit, his hair immaculately slicked back, not a strand out of place. She wanted to roll her eyes at how put together he was at six-thirty in the morning. It was rather annoying. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide the state of undress she was in, once again in his presence.

"I was, um, just looking for some tea," she mumbled quietly. She wasn't sure why she was explaining herself to him, but she felt the compelling need to justify her presence in the kitchen. She watched him nod before stepping further into the kitchen, pulling open a drawer in the island behind her.

"I was just about to make some myself, for the road," he replied coolly, avoiding her eyes as he pulled out two tea bags. He shuffled behind her to get to the cupboard to grab a travel mug. She felt his chest graze against her back as he stepped behind her and she had to fight the involuntary shiver that threatened to run down her spine.

He pulled out a dark blue travel mug that looked as if it had seen better days and sat it down next to hers before taking a step back to lean against the counter. The slow boil of the water was the only sound in the room. Maria shifted awkwardly, staring down at her feet, unsure of what to do or say in the moment. The had pretty much been at each other's throats the previous day. What could you say to someone that you desperately want to throttle?

"I hope you slept well," his voice cut through the quiet. She carefully glanced up at him to find him looking out the kitchen window, watching the sunrise. The morning light beamed on his face and the warm glow made him look even more handsome.

"I did. Did you?" she asked as politely as she could. It was far too early to begin an argument, so if he wanted to make polite conversation while they were both stuck waiting for the water to boil, she would indulge him. It was easier than a silence in where her thoughts could get the best of her.

He shifted his eyes to hers. She couldn't read what was behind those blue irises, though she found herself desperately wanting to know what he was thinking. The way his hands gripped the counter top and the stiffness in his jaw made him seem on edge. She wondered why.

"Yes. That is, after the storm calmed down a little." She watched his fingers flex against the marble. The silence settled over them again, leaving her only with the unnerving thoughts that entered her mind anytime she looked at him. The thoughts were mainly of throttling him, but some thoughts took her back to three months ago, outside that nightclub. No, she certainly couldn't be thinking of that, not wile she was here in the kitchen with him.

"Well, I hope the drive is nice," she said awkwardly. She cringed a little at the unnatural tone of her voice. What was it about him that made her unable to have a normal conversation?

"Hm? Oh, yes. It usually is. Just long," he replied distractedly as he turned his attention back to the window. The click of the kettle told Maria that the water was finally done boiling. She stepped toward the kettle, placing a teabag in her cup. She knew she should just get her tea ready and leave, there was not much else that could be said between them. But the comment that escaped her lips could not be stopped.

"Your _girlfriend_ must be rather special if you're willing to make such a journey so often." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his entire body tense at her words as he brought his attention back to her.

"I don't think that's any of your business." Gone was the polite tone of his voice. Now she heard the dangerous, gruff voice she had received all of the day before. She scoffed as she poured the water into her cup.

"No, I suppose its not," she breathed out. And it wasn't, not truly. She had no business in his personal life. She just felt this overwhelming need to provoke him about it. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. An explanation? She didn't really want one, she didn't need one. She understood that men would, at times, feel unsatisfied with their partner and decide to have an affair of sorts. Women did it too, she knew. Maria just had never understood why and she felt immense guilt and anger at the thought that she had been used like that.

"I don't know what you think you know about me, but you have no right to question my affairs. I am your employer, not your friend," he spat. Obviously, she had struck a nerve.

"Oh yes, you've made that quite clear," She laughed dryly, scooping a spoonful of sugar into her tea.

"Not clear enough, apparently," he muttered under his breath, but Maria heard it. She shook her head at her tea.

"Oh, don't worry, Captain. I have no illusions that we are or ever could be friends. Yesterday was proof enough of that fact," she shot back, looking up at him for the first time since she had made the comment. He was looking right back at her with a scowl on his face.

"Are you saying you've been treated unfairly?" he asked. His eyes were very dark now, she could barely see his pupils.

"No, just not warmly," she replied with a shrug. She looked back at her tea, swirling her spoon around the warm liquid.

"I hate to break it to you, but that's how the real world works. It's not always rainbows and sunshine," he told her, averting his gaze back to the window. She looked back up for a split second and could see the pain etched into his features. He must be thinking of his wife. Her heart fell. She instantly regretted provoking him. As much as he infuriated every fiber of her being, she didn't want to bring up the pain of the memories that came with his wife. It seemed utterly unfair.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," she said, her tone much softer than it had been. She stared down into the steaming mug of tea. Her fingers wrapped around the cup and she revelled in the warmth against her hands. It was a nice contrast to the coldness in the air between them.

"It's fine," he sighed as his fingers gripped the edge of the counter. She gave a small nod before turning from him, carrying her mug. She needed to leave before she made anything worse between them, not that she was sure it could get worse.

"But Ms. Rainer," his voice stopped her. His tone was gentle and for a second, she was reminded of the Georg she had met three months ago, the one with the warm voice and kind presence. She looked back over her shoulder to find his eyes on her, burning a path into her soul. "for your information, Elsa is _not_ my girlfriend."

Maria's head spun. What had he just said? She found herself staring at him with wide eyes and quickly looked away. She stood for a moment, catching her breath before walking out of the kitchen. She felt as if she were sleeping walking as she headed back to her room.

He wasn't in a relationship? Then why had Mrs. Schmidt been so adamant that his was going to propose by the end of the summer? Was he lying? She couldn't see the motive of him lying to her about that. He wasn't gaining anything by lying to her.

Then again, why did he tell her in the first place? He had just made it very clear that she was his employee. It shouldn't matter to her if he was in a relationship or not. But still, he had told her and the information had filled her with a sense of relief. She didn't want to be relieved that he wasn't in a relationship, she wanted not to care at all. But for some inexplicable reason, she had felt her heart lift a little for the first time since dinner the previous night. She was afraid to ask herself why.

However, one thing was sure, that one statement would haunt Maria for weeks to come.

* * *

**A/N: I really hope you liked this chapter. I thought about splitting it up, but I'd rather give you one long chapter than two short chapters. **

**I had a lot of fun writing this one. I'm really enjoying playing around with the characters in a modern world. As always, your reviews have made me smile and have inspired me to no end. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll get around to actually replying to all of your lovely reviews. I thank everyone who has taken the time to read this.**

**I meant to mention this earlier, but I forgot. The title comes from a Sam Smith song of the same name. I'd highly recommend checking it out.**


	5. Chapter Five

_Two Weeks Later…_

"Georg, where's that last bottle of wine you brought?" Max asked as he walked into the sitting room where Georg and Elsa were lounging. Georg was sat in a plush armchair with his laptop nestled in his lap as he looked over the latest expense reports for his company. His reading glasses were perched on the end of his nose while his fingers pattered away on the keyboard, typing up notes he wanted to send to his finance department.

"It's gone, Max," was Georg's distant reply as he typed out the end of his sentence.

"Gone?" Max asked, utterly bewildered. Georg spared a glance at Max from over the rim of his glasses. Max blinked several times at Georg, obviously not understanding the possibility of the wine being gone.

"Yes, Max, gone. You drank the rest of it last night," Georg remarked bitterly. He hadn't even gotten to drink any of the wine he had brought up from Aigen. Max had always been lurking near the bottle and Georg could swear every time he even came close enough to grab a glass, Max would start hissing low in his throat. It was so very Max to be so possessive over someone else's liquor.

"I did not!" Max scoffed. Elsa's cool laugh filled the room.

"Oh, you most certainly did, dear," Elsa interjected from her spot on the burgundy couch next to a fireplace that was not in use. She was sat with her legs tucked underneath her while she scrolled aimlessly on her phone. Even lounging casually, she was the picture of pure class with her neat updo and freshly pressed skirt. Max pursed his lips.

"I thought there was another bottle," he pouted. Elsa chuckled while Georg groaned.

"You drank all three bottles, Max. Might I add that I didn't even get a sip of _my_ wine," Georg muttered, closing his laptop. He leaned forward to place it on the coffee table in front of him, setting his reading glasses on top of it.

"Well why didn't you drink any?" Max asked.

"Max, darling, no one could even get close to those bottles of wine without you giving them a glare that spelled out murder," Elsa stated. Max narrowed his eyes at her as he slumped into the armchair next to Georg.

"I did no such thing," Max muttered, rolling his mustache between his fingers. This time Georg chuckled.

"You did. And you will do it again. I've come to expect it from you," Georg replied, patting his friend on the shoulder. He felt at peace in moments like these. The conversation was easy with Max and Elsa and it distracted his ever-racing mind. He took solitude in the moment where the three of them could just sit together and have light-hearted conversations. It cooled his head and made him feel that for a split second, all was right in the world.

His two weeks in Vienna had been a mixture of emotions and thoughts that muddled his brain. Georg had never felt himself so lost, and it had everything to do with the insubordinate governess he left back in Aigen.

The first day in Vienna had been a desperately needed break for his mind. The drive had been one of heavy self contemplation in which his mind kept travelling back to Maria and their conversation in the kitchen that morning. He wasn't sure what it was about her that provoked him so much, but the conversation had left him restless.

He wasn't entirely sure why he had told her Elsa wasn't his girlfriend, either. He supposed it was true. She wasn't his girlfriend. She was… he wasn't sure what he would call it. She was a friend who was female who he occasionally shared a bed with. He did realize that objectively, it would seem like Elsa was his girlfriend.

They spent a lot of time together, the often went out together, and they slept together more often than not. To anyone on the outside, it would look like Elsa was his girlfriend, but Georg was adamant that she wasn't. Labels made everything official, and Georg certainly wasn't ready for that. What he couldn't figure out was why it had been so important to him that Maria knew that.

He felt guilty about having her believe that he had a girlfriend when he had met her three months back, that much Georg could admit to himself. Even so, it wasn't like he wasn't involved to a degree with Elsa at that point. He couldn't figure out where the truth ended, and the lie began.

It ate away at him for a majority of his drive. He was utterly confused about his mindset, both during that conversation and about Elsa.

Upon arriving at Elsa's flat, Max had been right there to welcome him ,and Georg's mood instantly lifted. Max's jokes, while often cheesy or just ridiculous, did wonders for his mindset. The verbal sparring with Max allowed him to concentrate on something other than his brooding thoughts.

His first day had been quite nice, all in all. Max's extroverted personality made sure that Georg was never alone with his thoughts for too long and Elsa's cool grace and elegance were a welcome sight. The trio had spent the day together at Elsa's flat, talking about nothing of importance. It had been a lovely distraction.

They had gone out to dinner which was custom when Georg visited. Georg loved visiting the various restaurants around Vienna; there were far more choices than in Salzburg. Not that Georg didn't adore his cook's food. He just enjoyed the atmosphere of a sophisticated restaurant with his good friends as well.

But as smoothly as the day had gone, it came tumbling to a crash in the evening. Max had retired rather early, claiming his back was a mess from the day before when he carried Elsa's bags all around Vienna's finest shops. As Max had retired, Georg had felt his anxiety increase. He knew what would happen next, and he knew from the get-go that he wouldn't be able to go through with it.

It had started as it always did. Elsa and Georg had shared a light conversation over drinks, sitting beside each other on the couch in the main sitting area. At first it was nice, and Georg could feel his nerves slowly dissipate as Elsa told him all about her visit with her friends from the previous night. The conversation was natural and easy, and Georg thought that maybe, just maybe, he would make it through the night.

But then, in a lull in the conversation, Elsa had leaned in and kissed him. At first, Georg was able to respond the way he always had, not quite with longing and passion but with a desperate need to find comfort in another body. But when his eyes fluttered shut, he was met with the horrific image of Maria rising behind his eyelids. Suddenly it was she that he was with; her lips that he was kissing, her waist that he was caressing, her moans that he was hearing.

The hauntingly realistic essence of the image his mind had conjured up was enough for him to extricate out of Elsa's embrace at lightening speed. He moved so quickly that he had fallen straight off the couch, landing with a thud on his rear end.

Elsa had stared at him with bewildered eyes, as if he had suddenly grown a second head. He had sheepishly smiled, claiming he was tired from the drive and that he should get a good night's rest. He could hear the low huff of annoyance she uttered under her breath but had agreed with him all the same, telling him one of the guest rooms was ready for him.

He was grateful that the conversation didn't go any further. He was rather shaken up. Maria's image had been so vivid, so real. He wanted to kick himself for letting her affect him the way she had in that moment. She wasn't even there! And she certainly shouldn't have been in his mind to begin with. His body had trembled all the way to his room after he had excused himself from Elsa. What was happening to him? Why had a few kisses from this young woman deteriorated his psyche into a crumbling mess?

As he had for the past months, he stripped out of clothes and crawled into bed, shutting his eyes to try and get some rest. He tried to allow the exhaustion of the drive and the social outings wash over him. But when he would allow his eyes to close, there she was again. It was enough to make his eyes snap open and his breathing to come in ragged breaths for several minutes before he repeated the process over again.

Eventually, the vicious cycle would take its toll, and Georg's body calmed down enough to allow him into slumber. However, that was somehow worse. He dreamt of her, as he had been doing for three months. He had slept a mere two hours before his body woke him with a start, his torso slick with sweat, and a certain part of his body standing at full attention.

At nearly three in the morning, he had opted to take a very long, very cold shower. He couldn't go on this way. As he thought about spending a night with Elsa, his nerves escalated through the roof. He needed to get his mind and his body under control before he could even think about getting into bed with Elsa.

He desperately wished the thoughts of Maria would go away. He wished he could be a better man for Elsa. He wished that he could take the next step with Elsa and really try for a relationship. But as much as he wished for these things to happen, he knew they wouldn't. He was stuck in his life, and he had no idea how he was going to escape himself and his molded ways.

The next two weeks in Vienna had been more or less the same. Max, Elsa, and Georg would spend the day together either wandering around the city or staying in and just enjoying each other's company.

There were a few days where Georg went to his office to get some work done, but other than those occasional visits to check on how things were running, Georg spent every waking moment with his closest friends. They kept him busy and distracted through the days, which gave him relief. He had less of a chance to contemplate on a certain pair of blue eyes if he was constantly on the move.

But he had stayed away from Elsa's bed. For the first few days, he claimed he was developing some head cold that he didn't want her to catch. Other nights he would claim exhaustion. He could see Elsa becoming a little frustrated with his excuses, but he wasn't sure if he could control himself when his eyes closed, and another woman's image would make its way into his mind. God forbid he uttered the wrong name.

He felt ashamed of it. He knew Elsa would grow tired of his excuses and confront him eventually. But he couldn't stop his mind from forming the images behind his eyelids, as hard as he tried. He had made an effort, one night, to proceed with Elsa.

He had drunk copiously, hoping that if his mind was foggy enough, he would be able to perform without Maria being stuck in his mind. Of course, the alcohol had only confused his mind further. He had barely gotten out of his shirt before his body seemed to scream at him in warning as he pictured himself back at that nightclub with Maria backed against the wall.

He had backed off from Elsa once again, muttering an apology for drinking so much before removing himself from her room. He could tell that she was annoyed with his erratic behaviour, and she was justified in that, but she said nothing. She was kind and polite in the day, and never mentioned a word about his actions at night. Her silence was a relief to him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to explain himself to her, he could barely explain his actions to himself.

In his latest days in Vienna, he had begun to worry about how things were back in Aigen. Usually within a few days of his arrival in Vienna, he would get a call from a frantic Mrs. Schmidt about something the children had done to upset the governess. But it had been radio silence. Not even a text from the woman. He had briefly thought about sending a text straight to the source and asking how things were. He had quickly dismissed that idea. He had told Maria that his number was used for emergencies only, and he couldn't go around breaking his own rules.

"Georg, you are not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" Max's voice brought Georg out of his reverie. He looked from the vase of flowers he had been fixing with a glare to the man beside him.

"I'm sorry, Max. What were you saying?" he asked, trying to shake off his thoughts of home.

"Are you okay? You seemed to be in another world there for a minute," Elsa asked, staring at him with blatant concern. He shot her one of his signature charming smiles.

"I'm fine. I was just wondering how the children are. I haven't received a frantic phone call lately," Georg said with a half-hearted chuckle, trying to mask just how deep his worry ran. He fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

"I've noticed that!" Max exclaimed, shifting his body in the chair to face Georg. "Do you think the new governess has finally tamed them?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps she burned the entire house down," Georg joked, hoping his face kept straight. He didn't count Maria burning the house down as a possibility. He didn't know what to expect with her.

"She sounds like a spit fire," Max retorted, wagging his eyebrows in Elsa's direction at the pun. Elsa rolled her eyes but laughed all the same.

"Really Max, you are such a child," she interjected. Max huffed and narrowed his eyes at her.

"They call it humor, Elsa," he shot back. Georg smiled weakly at the exchange but couldn't help his racing thoughts of all that could be going wrong in his home. "But Georg, I am surprised. You've said absolutely nothing about the new governess since you arrived, except that she was new. Usually you have something to say about their incapability to manage your children."

Georg winced. It was true, he hadn't spoken a word about the new governess residing in his home. He had purposefully avoided the topic, not entirely sure how to approach it. He didn't know how things would go if he started talking about Maria, or what he would even say about her without bringing himself into a pit of confusing thoughts.

"I didn't spend much time with her. I can't speak to her capabilities. That's probably why I'm so concerned about how the children are," he said carefully, not wanting to reveal too much.

"Well, perhaps you should give your lovely housekeeper a call. You're a terrible bore when you're worried about something. You should ease your mind," Max said. Georg frowned. Part of him was itching to call home to hear the news of what the children were up to. But another part of him told him it wasn't a good idea. He had held hope that perhaps she was on her way out the door at any given moment. What if she was able to do the impossible and win the children's hearts? How would he cope with the news that she would be in his home for the rest of the summer?

"I agree with Max," Elsa said, "You've been quite down lately. Maybe some news from home would help you feel a little better."

He didn't miss the double meaning in her statement. Maybe she was attributing his moods to his uneasiness about not knowing what was going on with his children. He felt the air become stifling as his thoughts turned over to what the governess was doing in that very moment.

"Maybe I'll step outside and give her a call," Georg muttered as he stood, not specifying to who he was calling. Elsa and Max each flashed him a smile before beginning a conversation of their own. It had something to do about one of Elsa's friend's daughter's teenage pregnancy or something of that nature. Georg was glad to be leaving the room. He didn't have the patience for gossip.

He made his way to the balcony of the flat. Elsa lived near the top of a thirty-story building. The view of the heart of Vienna from Elsa's balcony was absolutely breathtaking. Georg often spent time just admiring the view of the city from her balcony.

He took a moment to look down into the busy streets. People were everywhere, walking around downtown Vienna in the mid morning. Some were likely making it to work, some where running errands. Georg always found a sense of comfort in people watching. It let him escape his own mind to contemplate the thoughts of others.

After a few moments had passed and he felt his mind calm a little, he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened it. He clicked on his contacts and scrolled. He paused as he saw Maria's contact. He had added it to his contacts once he had gotten to Vienna, just in case she did call him with an emergency.

He hovered over the contact. It might just be easier to ask her what was going on than going through Mrs. Schmidt. He felt nerves begin to rise as his thumb hovered over her name. The smart thing to do would be to just call Mrs. Schmidt to avoid any awkwardness. But as the seconds passed, he felt more and more inclined to hear about his children from Maria's mouth. It had absolutely nothing to do with the need to hear her voice, Georg convinced himself. Before he could think any further, he selected her contact and hit the call button.

He felt his heart flutter as he heard the dial tone. He gripped the railing on the balcony with his free hand to steady himself. He briefly wondered if she would even pick up. Their last conversation had been strained and left rather tension filled. She likely didn't desire to hear from him in the slightest. But he was saved from contemplating any further when she picked up after two rings.

"Hello?" she answered breathlessly. Georg immediately wondered what she had been doing to make her so out of breath.

"Hello, Ms. Rainer," he replied, struggling to keep his voice steady. He had been hearing her voice, her moans, her sighs in his dreams. It felt almost surreal to hear her melodic tone in reality.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" she asked. He was pleased that she didn't sound angry or annoyed by his call. In fact, she just sounded rather business-like. It was better than annoyance, he thought.

"I was just wondering how the children are. I haven't heard anything since I left," he replied coolly.

"Oh," she sounded surprise. "Well, they are fine. They've kept on top of their studies and reading, and we've just been getting better acquainted."

Georg narrowed his eyes at the city before him. She sounded flustered, as if she had just been running a marathon. Something didn't sit well in his chest.

"They haven't been giving you too much trouble?" he asked, carefully prying. He heard her chuckle on the other end of the line. He blinked a few times. That was the first time he had heard her laugh since the night they met.

"Oh, no. They've been very well-behaved actually," she told him. That definitely didn't sit well with Georg. Never, in five years, had anyone told him his children were well-behaved.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes. They've been listening quite well and have done what's required of them," her voice was neutral. Georg couldn't believe his ears. Typically, governesses couldn't wait to tell him what little monsters his children were. He felt a swell of fatherly pride that they were behaving themselves. Even though he didn't like the idea of Maria living under his roof for the summer, if the children listened to her then maybe, just maybe, he could bring himself to tolerate the situation.

"That's good to hear. I had no need to worry then, it seems," he said, keeping his tone casual. A distant scream through the line caught his attention. "What was that?"

"Kurt be careful. Just stop right there," Maria's muffled voice called out. The alarm bells started ringing in his head. Be careful? Why would he need to be careful? They were supposed to be doing their morning studies at this time, there was nothing to be careful of. And there was certainly no screaming involved.

"Ms. Rainer, what is going on?" he asked, the sternness seeping through his tone. He heard a few more muffled words, but could not make out what they were.

"Ms. Rainer?" he called out, not keeping the increasing frustration from his voice. What on earth were they doing? He strained to hear the commotion. He could hear the crackle of wind over the line. They must be outside, but why? It wasn't time for their walk around the lake.

His heart dropped in his chest as he heard another distant scream along with a string of 'Kurt!' being exclaimed. Had Kurt been hurt? Had something happened? He needed to know what was going on.

"What the hell is going on?" he spat out the question.

"I'm sorry, Captain, I have to go. I'll call you back when I can explain things to you," she said in a hurried fashion. By her ragged breaths, it sounded like she was running. He felt his blood boil. She was crazy if she thought she could hang up on him right now.

"Don't you dare hang-," the line clicked off, and she was gone. Georg removed his phone from his ear and stared at it, his mouth agape. He had never been hung up on like that.

"Dammit," he muttered, hitting the railing of the balcony with the palm of his hand. She couldn't do that. She couldn't hang up on him while he was speaking to her, about his children no less. He had every right to know what was going on, especially if she had somehow gotten one of his children injured in some way. He was furious. He hit the call button again, and he nearly threw his phone over the balcony when it went straight to voicemail.

He stormed back into the flat, slamming the screen door just behind him. He needed to know what was going on. Obviously, she wasn't going to tell him, so he would have to find out himself. He would have to go back home. He stomped off in the direction of his guest room, but a voice stopped him.

"Georg?" Elsa asked, walking up to put a delicate hand on his arm. He brushed it off. "Are you okay?"

"I need to leave," he spat. He was seeing red everywhere. "Something is going on at home. I think one of the children is hurt."

"You think?" Max's puzzled question came. Georg rolled his eyes. He really didn't feel like going into details.

"I wouldn't know. The insolent little governess hung up without telling me what was happening," he fumed. He just wanted to get his things packed and leave. He was sure he was going to fire her if one of the children were harmed in any way.

"What if we came with you?" Georg's eyes snapped to Elsa's in shock. Had she really just suggested coming down to stay with him? At a time like this? He couldn't think properly about her proposal, he was too angry to think.

"Why?" was his simple question.

"I've always wanted to see your home, plus you might require some help if one of the children have been injured," she shrugged. Georg could see her motives clearly. So, this was her tactic? She wanted him to bring her to his home, to introduce her to his children? He knew it would be a big step in the unofficial relationship they had, but he couldn't, for the life of him, see it as being a good idea.

"I don't think it would be a good idea at the time," Georg muttered. He didn't have the patience for the conversation. He needed to leave as quickly as possible to find out what had happened to his children.

"Why not? I haven't been to your home in years, and I quite fancy myself a trip. Besides, Elsa's right. If one of the children has been hurt, you might need back-up, even if it is just to get rid of the governess," Max spoke up. Of course, Max would side with Elsa. Max seemed as if he would do anything to bring their relationship closer.

Georg looked up to the ceiling. He really didn't feel like arguing the two of them, he just wanted to leave and find out what chaos was erupting at home. He knew if he told them no, they would ask why. Frankly, he didn't have the time to list off the reasons.

"Fine, but I want to be ready to leave in half an hour," he grumbled before walking in the direction of his room.

"We better get packing," he heard Max say. Georg groaned as he entered his room. The last thing he needed was for Elsa and Max to try and calm him down with humor right now. He was sure at this point that any efforts to calm him would only infuriate him more.

As he began throwing clothes into his suitcase, he considered just how bad of an idea it was to bring them with him. Any objections from Georg to his friends would only delay his travel plans, which was the last thing he wanted. He needed to get home as soon as possible to assess the situation and get Maria out of his life for good.

* * *

Maria threw open the door to the von Trapp house and stood off to the side as Friedrich helped his brother into the foyer. All she could feel was the heavy weight of guilt in her chest as she watched Kurt hop through the threshold, his ankle thick with bandages.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Things at the house in Aigen had been relatively calm in Georg's absence, though it had gotten off to a rocky start. Where Maria had thought she made progress with the children the night of the thunderstorm, she was quickly proven wrong when she was met with cold eyes at the breakfast table and stained jeans due to sitting in colored gelatin that was placed on her seat.

At first, she had been at a loss. The children had been smiling and laughing when she had danced around her room with them on the night of the thunderstorm. She had thought she had broken through their walls, so why would they act stony towards her again?

She quickly realized that just because she sang to them when they were scared, it didn't mean that they had accepted her. She had been the only figure of comfort they could go to when they had been frightened. They had lowered their walls in a moment of vulnerability, but that didn't mean that the walls were gone.

She knew that it would take more than a single night of providing comfort to them to get them to open up to her. The children had known no other world than that of being on their own. When their mother had died, they had also lost their father in a sense. For five years, they had gotten used to being independent and being wary of adults in their lives.

It had been difficult, at first, to get them to even listen to her. It seemed as if they were trying to actively ignore her, using their phones as shields. Maria had only been grateful that Marta and Gretl were far too young for such technology. They were the most receptive to her.

She had come up with a plan on the first morning she spent with them. She had to be careful while treading between discipline and openness. When they went to do their studies, Maria told them they had to set their phones on her desk while they worked. She had been met with five defiant stares, but she made them a deal. She said after each hour, they could take a fifteen-minute break to check their phones, and they would end lessons half an hour before lunch so they could relax a little.

The children had been utterly bewildered at the prospect for a moment, but they ultimately agreed that it was a fair trade. Maria had felt a small sense of victory in the moment.

She had walked around to each child that morning and asked what they were studying, supplying help where she could. They were intelligent children, there was no doubt about that. It seemed that they had a firm grasp the lessons they were given, but she still made it clear that she was there to help.

When lunch came around, Maria was completely thrown off to find a spider walking across her meal. She tried very hard to keep herself composed and not react. It was like a lesson she had learned as a young girl; if you don't react to a bully, they will lose interest. But still, the fact that they had pulled another trick made Maria work all that much harder.

She had declared after breakfast that they were forgoing their walk around the lake, and instead, they would play a game. The eldest children had groaned, claiming to be too old for games, but Maria was having none of it. She was firm about telling them that participation was necessary.

They had been reluctant at first, but when Maria announced that they would play capture the flag in the yard, she saw a few eyes light up. There was more than enough space to play and they had the perfect number to split the teams evenly. The game started off quite timidly. Most of the children had played the game at school but they must have felt a little awkward playing it in their yars, especially when they were supposed to be doing their readings.

In the end, the children had seemed to enjoy themselves. They were laughing and smiling by the time the game had come to an end. Maria had felt it to be another small victory. They may still be wary of her, but at least she was making small strides. And it was positively warming to see them smile and laugh.

She allowed them to have another half hour of free time after the game to check their phones or do something else that they wanted to do. Kurt and Friedrich had pulled out a ball to toss around while the two youngest girls chased each other around the yard. Liesl, Louisa, and Brigitta opted to sit on the terrace with Maria. Liesl remained on her phone the whole time, occasionally smiling and giggling to herself. Louisa had scrolled through her phone for a few minutes before joining the boys in their game of catch. Brigitta, like Maria, sat with a book and read.

When it was two hours until dinner, Maria announced that it was time for them to do their required reading. Each of the children had groaned, not wanting their time outside to end. Now that they had the chance to be children, they didn't want to stop.

Maria had presented options to them. They could go inside and read quietly to themselves, as was customary, or they could stay outside and take turns reading different sections of the text. It had been unanimously agreed that they would stay outside and read. Each child was assigned a few paragraphs while Maria helped Gretl and Marta through the text. Friedrich and Kurt had taken it upon themselves to do funny voices for the characters, bringing everyone to tears by the time dinner was being served.

Maria felt a swell of pride when dinner was much less quiet than the other three meals she had shared with the family had been. The children talked amongst themselves with abandon, and they would even occasionally ask Maria a question or include her in the conversation. She felt completely satisfied that they were being a little more open. She knew that one day didn't magically make their walls break down, but she was already seeing improvement, and that was enough.

They had even been open to watching a movie all together in one of the sitting rooms after dinner, something Marta had admitted she had rarely done in her life. It seemed that the tv was barely used in the house. If the children wanted to watch something, they confessed that they would stream it on their phones and laptops. They very rarely watched something together.

Maria carefully selected a Disney movie, deciding that would be the most appropriate and enjoyable to the age groups she was presented with. Maria had barely bee able to contain her adoration when she felt Marta and Gretl drift off on either side of her. They each had a head on one of Maria's shoulders as they slumped against her. It was one of the most precious things Maria had ever experienced.

After the movie, the children had wished her goodnight and headed off to bed, only Liesl stuck behind to carry a sleeping Gretl to her bed while Maria carried Marta. Once the girls were tucked in, she had gently asked Liesl questions, easing into the topic of boys. As Maria suspected, there was a boy she was interested in. A sophomore at her high school named Rolf. Liesl blushed and looked away when she spoke his name. Liesl didn't give many details and Maria didn't push. The conversation was just a way to let Liesl know that she could talk to Maria, and a way for Maria to treat her more like the young woman she was instead of a child.

Maria had gone to bed that night feeling the most splendid sense of exhaustion. The children had tired her out but in a good way. She felt that she had completed a full day of work and had made leaps with the children.

She hadn't even noticed that she hadn't thought of Georg the entire day until she woke from a fitful dream, remembering only a pair of electric blue eyes.

The nights were the only time she had the time to think about him, which gave Maria overwhelming relief. The days were far too busy to dwell on him too much, and they exhausted her so much that she fell asleep quickly. It was only when her body would jolt awake after a dream about him that she would really think about him. She wondered what he was doing, if he was having a good time, if he was coming back soon. She briefly considered texting him after a week to ask when he was coming back, but ultimately decided against it. His number was for emergencies, she reminded herself. Besides, it was far easier getting the children to open up without sticking exactly to his schedule.

And so, the days passed, much in the same fashion of the first day. The children hadn't taken to her after just one day. They had continued with tricks for a few more days, but they became increasingly less drastic. They hid her lesson plans once, put a giant rock in her bed, put a slug in her shoe, and given her a cup of tea with salt instead of sugar.

All in all, the pranks were of no consequence. She knew by their attitudes that they were slowly warming up to her with each passing day, and after a few days, the pranks stopped completely. They did something different every day, whether it be a new game or simply walking into Salzburg to wander around.

Mrs. Schmidt had pulled Maria into a hug on the fifth day, telling her that she hadn't seen the children so happy in years. She had thanked Maria for bringing the light back into their eyes. Maria was completely humbled. She really hadn't done anything except let the children be children, but still, they flourished with a little nurturing.

Two weeks later, everything had been going smoothly. She and the children were getting along. Some of them were still wary of her, but for the most part, she had felt confident in knocking down the walls that they had built up for so long. She felt a fierce protectiveness over the seven of them.

That morning, it had been so beautiful outside that Maria suggested they go outdoors to do their lessons. With a few extension cords plugged in for the children who needed their laptops, they all sat around the table on the terrace. It was when Maria allowed the children a break that everything went horribly wrong.

She had been playing a game of tag with Marta and Gretl, at their request. She had been startled when her phone began buzzing in her pocket. She was even more surprised when the caller ID read 'Captain'.

She had answered quickly, feeling extremely curious to why he would be calling her. Maybe something had happened? She sent a quick prayer as she picked up that he wasn't hurt.

Luckily, he was fine. He was wondering about his children, and that shocked Maria to the core. Most of her conversations with him, though quite few, he had never shown much interest in how the children were. He cared about them following rules and schedules, but he had never expressed genuine concern over them. She was quite pleased that the nature of the call was due to his curiosity about their well-being.

She had walked up closer to the house, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart at the sound of his voice. His voice was quite soothing, she noted before reprimanding herself for the thought.

She kept her answers brief, only relaying that they had been working on their studies and required reading and were well-behaved. She didn't want to tell him that she had tweaked his rules to be a bit more relaxed. She figured that when he came back, they would be able to have that conversation in person. She wanted him to see how well they were doing before he argued with her way of doing things.

His genuine shock at hearing his children were well-behaved was laughable. Perhaps if he had gotten to know his children a little better, he would know that they could behave perfectly well, when given the chance.

It was then that she had noticed Kurt scaling up one of the big fir trees near the garden. From what she could tell, Louisa had been teasing him about not being able to reach to top and he had taken the challenge. Marta had let out a squeal when Kurt's foot slipped on the branch.

Maria had covered the phone with her hand and yelled over to him to be careful and to stop climbing. She had prayed that the Georg hadn't heard, but he had. He was calling her name, but she could barely hear him over the roaring of her own heart as Kurt, a quarter the way up the tree, had lost his footing once again and came tumbling down, landing with a thud.

Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl had screamed as their brother landed in front of them with a shriek of his own, his hands going straight for his left foot, which Maria presumed he had landed on. She vaguely heard herself calling out Kurt's name before she was running in his direction, briefly telling Georg that she had to go.

She knew that hanging up the phone was a dangerous move. She knew he was likely outraged, but her main concern was making sure that Kurt was okay. She would deal with Georg later.

She had rushed to his side, smoothing his hair as a tear escaped his eye. She directed her attention to his left foot and assessed the damage. It looked like he had twisted his ankle upon falling. She didn't think it was broken, but she couldn't be too sure.

Maria leapt into action, telling Liesl to fetch Mrs. Schmidt while she asked Friedrich to help her lift Kurt up. The boy tried his hardest to be stoic, but a few tears had begun to escape from his eyes.

Mrs. Schmidt had run out in a frenzy to meet them and Maria briefly told her what happened and said that they needed to get Kurt to the doctor. From what Maria could tell after a quick look over, the boy didn't have any further injuries, but she wanted to make sure all was well, and that his ankle wasn't broken.

Mrs. Schmidt had called for Franz and gave him instructions to drive Maria, Friedrich, and Kurt to the doctor immediately.

It had taken three hours in a waiting room for the doctor to get to them, and a ten-minute assessment and one quick x ray for the doctor to tell Maria that Kurt just had a sprained ankle and a couple of bruised. She had sighed in relief, bringing the young boy into a hug and telling her she was sorry he had gotten hurt.

Kurt had looked her in the eye in that moment and shook his head. He told her that she couldn't blame herself because he was the one who had made the choice. In that moment, Maria had seen what a fine young man Kurt was becoming. Even though he was a little jokester, he had a steady head on his shoulders.

She had tried to call Georg while the doctor was bandaging up Kurt's foot to restrict his motion while it healed. She had been shocked that he hadn't picked up. She had expected him to be waiting by the phone to demand answers, and probably, Maria thought, end her employment.

She understood that her actions had not been professional. She should have stayed on the phone and explained the situation to Georg, but she didn't want to give him uncertain news if he was miles away and couldn't do anything about it. Her priority was making sure Kurt was okay, first and foremost. She didn't want to tell Georg that his son had broken his ankle if he hadn't.

Maria had called Franz to come pick them back up. Once they had arrived and Friedrich helped Kurt cross the threshold, they noticed the five frantic girls standing in the foyer.

"Kurt, are you okay?"

"Did you break your foot?"

"Does it hurt?"

The questions were immediately thrown at Kurt, and the boy beamed. While was still in pain, his spirits had lifted considerable when he realized they were going to be missing their required reading that afternoon. The popsicle that a nurse had given him in the waiting room had brought his mood up as well.

"I didn't break anything, just a sprained ankle," Kurt shrugged, his arm still around his brother as Friedrich supported him.

"Kurt, you need to lie down now. I want you to keep your leg up and keep ice on it," Maria instructed. Kurt gave her a brief nod before he began hopping up the stairs with Friedrich, and now Louisa, supporting his weight.

"Can we tuck him in?" Gretl asked. Maria smiled warmly at the girl as she patted her head.

"Sure, why don't we all go up. Once Kurt has his foot up, you can ask him as many questions as you want," Maria told the remaining four girls. "Brigitta, could you grab an ice pack for Kurt's ankle?"

Once Brigitta had retrieved the ice pack and Maria had assured Maria that their brother was fine, just sore, the five of them climbed the stairs together Thy reached the boys' shared room where Louisa and Friedrich were sitting on the edge of Kurt's bed with him. Gretl climbed up on the bed and wrapped her arms around Kurt's neck. Maria felt her heart warm at the sight of Gretl comforting her older brother.

They eight of them talked for a while; the girls asked questions about what the doctor had said, and Kurt indulged them in an overly dramatic retelling of the events that earned a silent eyeroll from Maria and a smack on the shoulder from Friedrich.

No one had noticed that someone had slipped into the room until they heard a throat clear. Maria turned to meet the enraged eyes of Georg, who was staring at her with such a fury that she was sure she would combust into flames under his gaze. The room fell silent as governess and father stared each other down.

It was Georg who finally broke the silence.

"Ms. Rainer, I need to speak to you privately. Now."

* * *

**A/N: Oh no, a cliffhanger!**

**This chapter is basically a setup for the next few chapters and writing it has been quite a task. I wrote about three other versions of this chapter, but this was the version that made me the least angry and made the most sense for what I'm going to be doing in the future.**

**It's not very plot heavy, but I hope you like it. Or tolerate it enough to stay tuned for the next chapter, which I'm really excited for.**

**The next update might not be as speedy as my previous updates, I'm afraid. It's exam season for me, and I foolishly agreed to a number of social events that I'm expected to attend this week. I'm hoping to get out another chapter before the beginning of next week.**

**Thank you so much for reading, and to all of you who have reviewed, your comments warm my heart :) **


	6. Chapter Six

"Ms. Rainer, I need to talk to you privately. Now."

Georg was angry. No, he was beyond anger. Livid, infuriated, and enraged were better words to describe how he was feeling in that moment. His chest heaved and his nostrils flared from taking the stairs two at a time, not wasting a second. He knew he must look like a mess with his wild eyes and wrinkled suit while his hair was undoubtedly tousled from running his fingers through it so often, but frankly he couldn't care less.

The whole drive up, he had been quietly seething as he prepared himself for what he was to find back at home, despite Max and Elsa's lighthearted attempts to calm him down.

In all honesty, he had drowned Max and Elsa out for most of the drive. He had barely been able to hear them over his fuming thoughts about the governess and her defiant tendencies. She had to have broken at least one rule if he was correct in thinking that they were outside when they should have been studying. It only led him to think what other rules had been broken.

Were they going to bed on time? Were they completing their lessons as scheduled? Were they doing their required reading? As Georg contemplated this, he admitted to himself that it was a rather strict routine he had them follow, but it was a routine that ensured that he knew what they were doing, when they were doing it, and that they weren't getting into trouble.

As much as he had neglected his children out of his own pain, he wanted them to be successful in life, and his rules were what he thought would give them the opportunity to be successful. He was always looking out for their futures. He wanted them to have the best opportunities in life. In his own mind, that was how he showed them that he did, in fact, care about them. Whether his children saw it that way was another matter entirely, one in which Georg did not spend much time contemplating on.

All his emotions had only escalated when he walked into the boys' room and saw his youngest son lying in bed with a bandaged foot. His heart had sunk with guilt. Was he okay? Was he in pain? But he was baffled by the beaming smile on his son's face. He certainly didn't look to be in that much pain, though it didn't make Georg any less angry about the situation.

He had been expecting worse. Kurt didn't seem to be bandaged or injured anywhere but his lower leg. But even despite the boy's injuries being less severe than he had feared, Georg was still furious. The way Maria had hung up on him was completely unethical and utterly unprofessional. He was her boss and she was taking care of _his_ children. If something happened to one of them, he had a right to know straight away, not whenever she felt like telling him.

Before Maria had even had the chance to respond to his demand, he had gripped her upper arm and pulled her out into the hallway, dragging her into one of the rooms he knew was vacant. He had all but pushed her inside, slamming the door shut with excessive force behind him.

They were in a storage room that was smaller than most of the bedrooms in the house, but big enough that they weren't crammed. In fact, there was enough room to put a good six feet between them, a distance that felt safe for Georg and his temperament. He would never harm her, that much was certain, but his body was practically trembling with rage.

He eyed Maria as he began to pace around her, like an animal stalking its prey. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, trying to still them from shaking.

She looked bewildered, but not frightened. She stood straight up with her head held high and her lips pursed as she firmly stared at the door she had just been forced through. The only indication that she was even remotely fazed by what had just happened was her widened blue eyes. Georg was rather annoyed that she didn't look more scared. Didn't she know her job was on the line?

He thought for a moment before speaking. He wanted to collect himself before starting what he knew was going to be an uncomfortable argument. He needed to be completely in control of the conversation, and of himself.

"Now," Georg started, his voice coming out dangerously calm. He could have smiled at how in control he sounded, if he wasn't so pissed off. "Would you please tell me how my son ended up getting injured when he was supposed to be doing his studies?"

"He was climbing a tree, sir," she stated simply. Georg's eyebrows shot up. Climbing a tree? Why on earth would she have let him climb a tree? He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Is that right? And climbing trees was part of his studies?" he asked, his face twisting into a scowl. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to hear that she had openly broken his rules and disregarded the discipline he had set in place. It would just give him further cause to fire her.

"The children were taking a break from their studies at the time," she replied. He was irritated that her voice sounded so calm and neutral as she jutted out her chin defiantly. He was certain that she had no regard for consequences whatsoever.

"I do recall telling you that my children were to study from breakfast until lunch, _in the study room_," he stressed the last part, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of her. Maria's calm state was driving him into a frenzy. He felt his iron clad control slipping away with each passing second. He needed her to react. He needed her to give him that little push to be able to fire her. But before he fired her, he wanted to hear just how many of his rules she had broken.

"They _were_ studying from breakfast until lunch, Captain, just as they had every day since you left. I just gave them a small break in between. Frankly, I don't recall you specifically mentioning where they were to study," Maria responded in that annoyingly melodic tone. Georg could feel his hands twitch behind his back as he circled her again. He kept his gaze to his fine leather shoes as he took slow measured steps. When he looked at her in such a calm state, it only mad him feel more outraged. Perhaps if he didn't look at her, he would be able to maintain his control.

"I see. And you just allowed Kurt to climb up the tree, knowing he could get hurt?" he inquired. He heard her huff quietly and brought his gaze back to her face. Her eyes had narrowed at the door she had been staring at. Georg felt like he was finally hitting his mark.

"I hadn't seen that he was climbing until-," Georg swiftly cut off her answer. She had given him a perfect excuse to fire her, but he wanted to see just how far he could push her.

"You mean you were neglecting your duties to watch them?" he asked. Finally, she turned her head to look at him. For a brief second, he could see the hurt in her eyes before it melted away into an igniting fire. He was satisfied to see her calm façade rapidly slipping away.

"No, Captain, I was answering _your_ phone call when he started climbing," she shot at him, the venom seeping into her voice with every word. Georg was taken aback by her response. He stopped his pacing in front of her to fix her with a darkening stare. She only reflected his glare in her eyes. Was she trying to put the blame on him in some way?

"Are you trying to say it's my fault that Kurt fell?" Georg asked, unclasping his hands and letting them fall to his sides.

"What I'm trying to say, is that children will be children. You can't always be watching them, and sometimes, they get themselves into trouble. It's a part of life." She had regained some control of her voice as she replied to him in an even tone, but the fire in her eyes was still present.

"You are getting paid to watch them and make sure that they don't get hurt!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. His hands balled into fists at his sides as he felt his blood begin to boil with new vigor. "And you're getting paid to follow _my_ rules."

"Forgive me in I'm wrong, but I thought I was getting paid to take care of children, not well-oiled machines who are required follow a routine worthy of prisoners," she shot back. Georg narrowed his eyes, unconsciously taking a step forward. So, she wanted to play it that way? He knew she was just trying to take shots that matched his own, but he wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't let her have the upper hand in this conversation.

"I will not forgive you for insinuating that I am some sort of prison warden in my own home. The point is, you should be following the rules I put in place. I get to decide how they conduct themselves because they are my children." His voice sounded nearer to a growl than his normal tone.

"Barely," she muttered under her breath. Georg felt a hot white flash of rage course through him as his ear picked up the word. Was she really going to go down this road? Was she really going to start picking apart his failings as a father? Georg didn't know if he could bear it if she did.

"Excuse me?" he spat out the question. He knew his control was rapidly escaping him, but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. She was stepping completely over the line.

Maria shifted her gaze away from his to look over his shoulder at the door behind him. She looked hesitant for a moment, but slowly, her gaze came back to his and he found a whole new pool of defiance in her irises. Perhaps if she thought if she was already losing her job, there was no point in holding back.

"You don't even know them. From what I've gathered, you've barely spent more than a mealtime with them for five years. You're never home. You almost pretend as if they don't exist. You can't act as if you're some wonderful father figure who cares about them if you haven't even taken the chance to get to know them." Georg was shocked at how forthcoming her anger was as she spoke. Her words stung. He knew deep down that everything she had said was right, but he certainly would not admit that to her.

"You know nothing about the relationship between my children and myself," he spat. His foot took another step, slowly invading her space. As he came closer, he did notice fear beginning to register in her eyes. She stepped back. He briefly wondered if she thought he might harm her.

"I know enough. I know that you've closed your heart to them. I know that you've left them confused and hurt and that they've built nearly impenetrable walls because of it," she told him. Georg scoffed. She had spent two weeks with them and though that it meant she knew them? It was ridiculous. What was more ridiculous was just how right she was. He felt something within him begin to crack as he heard the truth in her words.

"But you think you've broken those walls down in a matter of weeks, so you must know everything, right?" he asked, sarcasm dripping through his tone. Maria scowled at him. Her cheeks began to form a scarlet color. She was finally getting angry. Georg wasn't sure if he was pleased that she was finally reacting. He had thought that he wanted a reaction out of her but seeing her stare at him with unbridled fury almost frightened him. He almost didn't want to hear the shots she would take at him when she was angry when the punches she threw while she was seemingly calm were beginning to stir something familiar deep within him.

"I took the time to get to know them. I don't claim to know everything, but I know that they miss their father," she returned. Her words were like a shot through Georg's heart. He knew they missed him, he knew he had been a terrible father, but he certainly didn't need to hear about it, especially from her.

"I also know that Liesl isn't a child anymore. She hasn't been since she was eleven, when she was left to raise her siblings while you ran away," she continued. Georg huffed out a groan. He didn't want to hear about this. He didn't want to hear about how broken and alone he had left his children.

He regretted pushing her. Her jabs were tearing Georg's insides apart. All the feelings and regrets he had safely tucked away threatened to rise to the surface of his mind.

"Don't speak about Liesl. I don't want to hear it," he said, his volume increasing. Surely anyone walking by the room would be able to here him quite clearly, but he didn't care. His control was barely there anymore.

"Someone's got to tell you about them. Maybe then you'll get it through your head what you've done to them," she spat. He was stunned into silence, both by her boldness and by her volume. It seemed that she was competing with him for who could be louder. She paused to study him before continuing to throw verbal punches. "Friedrich's becoming a young man, but he's had no one to show him how to be one."

Hearing about his failings as a father began to cause more pain in Georg than anger. He couldn't hear about how he'd disappointed his children, how he'd abandoned them, how he'd completely and utterly failed to be there for them for five years. It was far too much. He had purposely tucked any guilt and regrets away, knowing that if he thought about it, it would ruin him.

Hearing the words come from her mouth made it too real. His emotions were bubbling in his chest and it stung after shutting them away for so long. He knew he was beginning to unravel. He could feel a deep pull in his gut, a pull he hadn't felt since Agathe's death.

"I don't want to hear it," he practically shouted. Everything he had buried, five years worth of pain, was rising to the surface so rapidly it threatened to completely undo him if he heard anymore.

"And Kurt admires you more than anyone else, but all you do is brush him aside. You have brushed them all aside. They've started to believe they aren't important because of it." She was relentless, completely ignoring his requests to stop. It was like she wanted to slice him where it hurt and watch as he bled out.

His feet moved on their own accord, stepping closer until he was in her space and her back was against the wall. He had hoped that it might intimidate her, that maybe getting in her space would make her back down, but she still stood with her head held high. It didn't matter that he was looming over her, trapping her like a small animal; she still held control over the conversation.

"Brigitta notices so much, you know. Especially about you. She talks about you so fondly. And she craves for you to just pay some attention to her. She loves you so much, they all do." Georg's mind was now screaming at him as he felt something snap within him. His hands twitch at his sides, while his eyes snapped shut. He was afraid of opening his eyes again; he was afraid of what he would see when he looked at her and he was afraid that the emotions coursing through him would give away as soon as he did open his eyes.

"Don't," his voice had dropped down to a low murmur. He could hear her sharp intake of breath in front of him. He felt something shift. It was as if the anger was being sucked from air and all that was left was the pain, the hurt, and the sadness.

"Louisa's more of a mystery. She's wary of everyone, but her eyes always light up when someone mentions you," Maria's own voice had dropped in volume and it had lost most of its edge. She spoke softly. She stopped her accusing approach to the conversation. Instead, she took on a more dangerous tone, one of gently letting him know that he really didn't know his children at all. He could feel the cracks in his heart deepen.

Georg took a shuddering breath, desperately trying to keep his composure while the guilt, anxiety, and grief all built up inside his chest, stronger than he had felt it for many years. Everything stirring inside of him threatened to boil over. Everything he had pushed away began pounding on the confines of his mind, threatening to spill out.

"And Marta and Gretl are just desperate for affection. They don't know you as well as the older children, but they idolize you all the same. They just want your love. They all just want your love." She had done it, she had broken the dam inside him.

Everything began to flow freely inside him; the pain, the guilt, the sickening ache in his heart. It all came at him so quickly, he wasn't sure if he would be able to put himself back together in the aftermath. His mask was shattering before his eyes, revealing the broken man behind it.

It was enough to make Georg's eyes snap open as his open palm landed hard against the wall next to her head. He watched her flinch at the sound, but she did not look fearful in the slightest. Her eyes watched him with a tenderness that threatened to destroy him.

She was watching a man who had treated her so coldly and so terribly, and yet, she didn't move. She didn't push him away, she didn't try to escape, she just stared up at him with those big blue eyes silently telling him it was okay.

"I just can't…" he wasn't able to finish his sentence as he felt tears prickle at the ducts of his eyes. He tried desperately to fight it. He wouldn't cry, especially not in front of her. He wouldn't show weakness.

His mind was so completely overwhelmed by the emotions that her words had sparked, that his body just began to react. He dropped his head, attempting to hide his face that was cracking with an emotion he hadn't shown since Agathe's funeral. He felt his forehead meet her shoulder as he desperately tried to keep any tears that threatened to escape from his eyes.

He felt ridiculous. He hadn't cried in well over four years. Georg had always believed that crying was a sign of weakness, and the von Trapp men weren't weak. His father had told him that enough times for it to resonate.

The words she had spoken to him were ones that no one had ever dared to utter to him. His breaths were shallow against the fabric of her t-shirt as he tried to regain some semblance of control.

She had completely unhinged him just with the truth. No one had spoken so openly to him about the wrong he had done to his children. No one had ever dared to try and bring his emotions to the surface like she had done. After hiding away for five years, hearing the blatant truth being thrown at him had overwhelmed him to the point where he could no longer hold back everything that had cumulated in his heart.

Georg was vaguely aware of Maria's hands tentatively resting on his sides; not pushing him away but also not pulling him into an embrace. Georg recognized it as an action of comfort. She was trying to comfort him without getting too close.

He immediately felt another surge of guilt at the things he had said to her and the way he had treated her. Even after his abominable behaviour, she wasn't shying away when he was showing his most vulnerable side. After he had treated her with cold disregard and all but accused her of getting his son injured, she was the one comforting him.

He had known she had a gentle heart from the moment he had met her. The way she spoke and the way she wore her heart on her sleeve were clear signs of that fact. And yet, he had basically taken advantage of it on that night. And then he had treated her in a stony manner when she had come under his employ. It was easier to disregard her than to acknowledge her, because to acknowledge he would be to acknowledge that night.

He felt utterly ashamed. Ashamed of his actions towards his children, ashamed of running away from everything after Agathe had passed, ashamed of how he had treated Maria. He had been ashamed of all these things before, but he had buried it. He thought if he buried his shame deep enough, it would go away eventually. But Maria had taken a shovel and dug through to all his fears and feelings in a single conversation.

He felt the soft touch of her hand in his hair as she cradled him awkwardly to her, like a young boy, while he worked out his emotions. He breathed deeply against her shoulder, trying to regain a normal breathing rate. He desperately wanted to regain his composure. He felt embarrassed standing there, leaning on her shoulder as he fought back the physical reactions of his emotional turmoil, especially after the way he treated her and all that was left unsaid between them.

But she didn't rush him or push him away. She let him work himself out at his own pace while her fingers smoothed over his hair. He felt like a child back in his mother's arms. No one had comforted him like that in years. He hadn't let anyone comfort him in such a manner. He believed he had never needed comfort, that he was strong enough to deal with things on his own. Obviously, that hadn't turned out well.

Slowly, he raised his head from her shoulder once he felt he was safe from making an even bigger fool of himself. He kept his eyes closed as he raised his head up, feeling her fingers slip out of his hair. He felt her warm breath tickle his cheek. He could smell the faint lavender mixed with vanilla that he had come to associate with her. He was suddenly hyperaware of how close they were, but he didn't make a move to pull away. Her closeness was comforting him in a strange way.

When he did open his eyes, he found Maria watching him carefully, a low light of concern reflected in her eyes. How could a person be so inherently good and selfless? He had been detestable at best, and yet she there watching him with an overwhelming degree of tenderness as he unravelled before her eyes.

He felt the urge to say something, anything. He wanted to explain himself, to apologize for breaking down. He wanted to tell her how uncharacteristic it was of him. He really wanted to tell her that this wasn't him, that he was not a man who broke down like a child, but in all truth, he couldn't be sure who he was. He had worn a mask for so long that he didn't know what lay behind it.

As he searched her eyes for any sign of fear or discomfort, he found something sad in her eyes that he couldn't identify. Did he upset her? Had his breakdown made her feel uncomfortable? It had certainly made him uncomfortable. He had the overwhelming urge to comfort her in some way as he watched the sadness intensify.

Before he could move or speak, he heard the faint sound of music, laughter, and singing. He tore his eyes away from Maria, looking around the room to locate the source. He had not heard sounds like that in a very long time.

"What's that?" his question was a hoarse whisper.

"I think it's the children," she whispered softly back. He looked back at her, his eyebrows raised.

"The children?" he asked. Surely it couldn't be. His children didn't sing, and they rarely laughed in the rare occasions that he had seen them. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest once again. It wasn't like he was around enough to know if they sang or laughed, Maria had been right about that. And when he was around, they obviously feared his volatile moods.

Maria bit at her bottom lip and avoided his eyes. She was obviously unsure of how he would react if she replied to him.

"I've been teaching them some songs and they've been introducing me to the music they like. I know that a musical education wasn't in their lesson plans, but they have such lovely voices and such a passion for music. It made them feel closer to her," Maria told him softly. Her eyes coming to rest back on his face as she tried to gage his reaction.

He winced slightly at the mention of Agathe. She had been very passionate about music. Wherever she went, she seemed to be humming a tune. She had a lovely voice too. It was one of the many things Georg had loved about her. When she had died, it seemed like there wasn't a song on the radio that didn't remind him of her.

They had been a musical family before Agathe got sick. Georg would sit one of the children on his lap while he played piano and Agathe sang. The children came by their musical talents naturally, but he had discouraged them from ever exploring it. Hearing their voices had only reminded him of the times they would all sing together to the radio on road trips to their summer home or when he and Agathe would theatrically sing to one of the children when they couldn't sleep. The thought had been too much to bear in his heavy heart.

Feeling curious, he slid his hand from the wall by Maria's head and stepped away from her completely. He gave her a fleeting glance, hoping he could convey that he wasn't upset before he turned to exit the room. He walked past a couple rooms before peering outside the boys' door where the children where. They were all gathered around Kurt as they sang to the music coming from one of the children's phones.

Georg's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the tune. It had been one of Agathe's favourite songs before she had died. It was some overplayed pop song about falling in love that he had never personally cared for, but she had played it for him enough times that he could recognize the tune.

He had thought that hearing the song again would bring him insurmountable pain, but watching his children smile at each other as the harmonized through the song filled his heart in an unfamiliar way. His heart started to feel fuller than he could remember it feeling in a very long time. Maria was right, they had beautiful voices.

He had missed so much time, he began to reflect as he looked to each of the children's faces. Gretl was getting so big, hadn't she just been a small bundle in his arms only yesterday?

Marta was growing rapidly as well. He noticed as she smiled at Gretl that she was missing quite a few teeth.

His little Brigitta, nearly eleven, was getting so tall. She might even be rivaling Kurt in height.

Kurt reminded Georg of himself as a young boy. The boyish rounded cheeks, the dimples, the beaming smile; he was the spitting image of Georg at eleven with sprinkles of Agathe in his features.

Louisa, nearly as stoic as Georg himself, smiled as Liesl wrapped an arm around her, and Georg was struck by the resemblance she bore to her mother.

Friedrich, by God he had gotten big, was sat next to his brother and Georg was absolutely taken aback by the young man. He certainly looked to be growing into a man, and quickly at that.

And Liesl, his fair Liesl, she looked so mature beyond her years. While her smile and aura still stayed filled with youth, her eyes held wisdom and maturity that most sixteen year old girls didn't possess.

Georg stood staring in awe at his children as they finished the last few verses of the song. He hadn't really taken the time to look at them in years. It had been much too painful for too long. He was afraid of reliving they pain of losing Agathe all over again when he looked at them. But as he watched them now, he couldn't feel pain. He only felt remorse for being so absent and a deep longing in his chest to get to know them.

As the final notes hung in the air, Georg brought his hands together in a slow clap as he stepped further into the room. Seven wide eyes turned to look at him. They looked as if they had just gotten caught pulling a trick. Georg felt a brief sense of regret that his presence made them feel as if they were doing something wrong.

"That was lovely," he spoke in a soft tone, one he wasn't sure when the last time he had used it with them was. She children's expressions went from surprised to wary. They didn't seem to believe he was really there saying those things. They stared at him as if he were some sort of figment of their imaginations.

_They just want your love. They all just want your love._ Maria's words echoed in his head. He wondered, after so long, if he could even possibly show them how he loved them. He wasn't even sure where to start. He had so much to apologize for. He had so much he had to say to them.

He wanted to say something to reassure them that he was really there, that it wasn't some cruel trick. He wanted to make them believe that he wasn't going to send them to their studies or bark orders at them. He wanted them to know that things could change.

He had to start by confronting what he had neglected for far too long.

"Your mother would be so proud," he choked slightly on the last word, his voice becoming thick with emotion. We watched the tears well up in the children's eyes as their mouths hung open in disbelief. Since Agathe's death, he hadn't mentioned her to them, or anyone else for that matter. He felt as if a weight was being pulled off his chest as he inhaled deeply. It felt oddly relieving to speak of her.

Slowly, he opened his arms, beckoning them to him.

It only took a split second before Brigitta and Marta were crashing into his arms while the rest of the children, with the exception of Kurt, huddled around him. He smiled more brightly than he could ever remember smiling.

He bent down to kiss Brigitta and Marta on the tops of their heads, turning out of their embrace so he could do the same with Gretl. He patted Liesl's check affectionately before briefly resting his hand on Louisa's shoulder and ruffling Friedrich's hair. The children all gave a watery laugh of pure joy that lifted his spirits higher than they had been in many years.

Georg stepped away from them, walking to Kurt's bedside. He smoothed his son's hair on his head.

"Are you in pain?" he asked. Kurt shrugged.

"It's not too bad now that I've got some ice on it," Kurt said, beaming up at his father. The boy's smile quickly fell though as realization struck. "But father, it wasn't Maria's fault. She had been on the phone when I started climbing. She told me to come down, but I didn't listen. It's all my fault."

Georg was a little surprised at his son's use of Maria's name, but he realized he shouldn't have been. Maria was not an overly formal person; it shouldn't be a shock that she would have asked his children to use her first name.

"Father, where is Maria?" Brigitta asked skeptically from his side. The children had undoubtedly heard the yelling. He was sure the entire household had heard their argument. He registered the fear in their eyes. They had probably thought he had fired her.

Georg's eyes snapped to the door and watched a flash of fabric pass. His feet began to carry him before he could register what was happening.

"I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder. He turned down the hall to see Maria walking in the direction of her room. He quickened his pace slightly.

"Maria," he blurted out, and she stilled immediately, turning towards him slowly, not daring to look in his direction. It struck him as odd, the way she seemed to be almost cowering in front of him now. She had been so unafraid, so relentless in their conversation only minutes ago, but now she looked terrified. It was enough to cause Georg concern.

He stopped a couple feet in front of her. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. I was in the wrong. I shouldn't have broken your rules or said what I said," she said quietly, looking down at her feet.

"Don't. What you've done… Well it's been a very long time since I've seen my children so happy," he told her earnestly. She looked up at him with a shy smile on her lips. The way she went from feisty and defiant one moment to shy and sheepish the next was a mystery that Georg had the urge to solve.

"They just want to be close to you," she replied. Georg smiled despite himself. Even though she deserved the credit, she wouldn't take it, and that only made Georg wonder why.

"I forgot how beautiful their voices were. Thank you," he said. She shook her head.

"It was all them, I had very little to do with it," she replied, looking back down at her feet. He stared at her in fascination. She was so humble. Didn't she know that she had changed everything in a matter of minutes? That she had made him realize his mistakes when no one else could?

She began to turn away from him, wringing her hands.

"I better go pack," she muttered. Georg's eyebrows shot up so high he was sure they had retracted into his hairline.

"Pack? Why are you packing?" he asked, perplexed at her words. Had he accidentally fired her in his rage?

"Well, I just thought that after everything that happened-," he cut her off.

"No. Maria, please don't go," he said softly, his voice just short of begging. He needed her to stay. He needed her help to pick up the broken pieces with his children. They trusted her, it was obvious by the way Kurt had come to her defense. He needed her to help him win back their hearts after he had broken them so miserably. He pushed down the inner voice in his head telling him that he also couldn't let her go because he feared that he would be lost.

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically. It had only been minutes since they had been yelling at each other in a storage room. The drastic change from that encounter to this one was astonishing.

"Yes. I want you to stay." _I need you to stay_, he said inwardly. "Please tell me you'll stay."

"If you think I could be of any help," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on his tie. He smiled, binging a finger up to tip her chin up to meet his eyes, before bringing his hand back down to rest at his side. He tried to ignore the twitching in his hand after he had touched her.

"You've already done more than you can imagine," he told her earnestly. And she had. Maybe she didn't realize it, but she had made him see the errors of his way with her outspokenness.

He knew that things wouldn't change right away, that things weren't magically fixed, but he could feel a change within himself. He wanted to try and work on both himself and his relationship with his children, something he wouldn't have even considered only days ago because he refused to even acknowledge that anything was wrong. She had forced him to acknowledge it, and that in itself was incredible.

She gave him a genuine smile and he couldn't help but return it. Her smile was just so damn contagious, he noted.

"Georg, I'm all unpacked. I trust you've sent the governess packing! I could hear you yelling from all the way down-," Max abruptly cut off as he came into view, Elsa trailing behind him. Georg took a hasty step away from Maria and turned to be met with Max's startled gaze.

_Damn,_ Georg thought as he closed his eyes briefly and took a few deep breaths. He had temporarily forgotten about the situation he had gotten himself into. He had forgotten that he had left Max and Elsa to get settled in. He had been too distracted by getting to his children and reprimanding the governess.

As he had driven Max and Elsa down, it had completely slipped his mind that Max knew Maria from that night. Perhaps knew wasn't the right word. He had seen Georg shamelessly caressing her with his mouth, and that fact terrified Georg. What Max must think! The woman was living under his roof now.

Max looked from Maria to Georg, back to Maria, silently asking a question with his eyes. Georg shot him a glare, telling him to keep his mouth shut and that he would explain later. Georg then spared a glance at Maria, who was avoiding Max's stare entirely, instead eying Elsa curiously.

Georg wanted to smack himself. Had he not told Maria only two weeks ago that he didn't have a girlfriend? While that still remained true, the fact that he had returned home with Elsa would undoubtedly be enough to get the wheels turning in Maria's head.

Georg cleared his throat as Elsa fixed him with a questioning stare, completely unaware of the awkward glances the trio were giving each other.

"Max, Elsa, this is Maria Rainer, the children's governess. And no, she will not be leaving us, not yet," he told them. Max shot him a curious look, but Georg averted his eyes. "Maria, this is Max and Elsa, my _friends_ from Vienna."

He had hoped that the emphasis on friends might make her not doubt him. He was sure that she now thought he had been lying about having a girlfriend.

"Lovely to meet you, dear," Elsa said with all her usual politeness. But there was a way she was eying Maria that made Georg uncomfortable. Could she sense something?

"Yes, it is lovely to meet you, Maria," Max said, an edge in his voice as he directed his gaze to Georg once again. Georg gulped. How had he gotten himself into this situation?

"It's nice to meet you as well. But I'm afraid if I must go check on the children. Please excuse me," she said as she began to walk past them towards the children's rooms. Georg desperately wanted her to look at him, to gage her thoughts, but she completely evaded his gaze. She held her head high as she walked away and disappeared into the boys' room.

"She seems quite nice. I assume you sorted everything out?" Elsa asked Georg as she turned her gaze to him. Her look brought him insurmountable uneasiness in his chest. He felt his fingers flex at his side.

"Yes. It was a misunderstanding. Everything is fine," he said quickly, hoping to dismiss the topic entirely.

"So, she's staying here for the summer then?" Max asked, an eyebrow raised. Georg wanted to hide away from the scrutiny of his friend's eyes. How was he going to explain Maria to Max? How was he going to explain Elsa to Maria? How was he going to explain his muddled thoughts to himself?

"Yes, she is," he answered. Max cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. It was unbearably awkward. Georg cleared his throat. He needed to leave. He needed a moment to think about everything that had happened in the span of the last half hour. "I think I'm going to go change. This suit is getting a bit hot."

"I bet it is," Max muttered, earning an inquisitive glance from Elsa. Georg shot him a glare. He really hoped Max would keep his discretion, at least until he could figure out what to do about this mess. "Come Elsa, I think we should raid Georg's cellar while he's indisposed."

Georg opened his mouth to protest but shut it quickly. If Georg's cellar was what it took to keep Max quiet for now, then he would give it willingly.

He watched the two walk away, chatting between themselves as they descended the stairs. Georg let out a breath he had been holding in, turning towards the end of the corridor and walking briskly to his room. As he closed the door behind him, he leaned back against it.

He knew he was in a delicate situation, especially after what had happened in the storage room. He knew that things had changed, not only with his children, but with Maria. When you let yourself become so vulnerable in front of someone, it's bound to change things. He knew he needed her to help him get back into his children's hearts, but he couldn't deny that he felt like he needed her stability for himself as well.

But how would she feel about him now that Elsa was there? He wanted to be able to work with Maria in order to connect with his children, but he was terrified that she would think he was a liar and resume her indifferent attitude towards him.

He was also terrified that Elsa would be able to detect something. Terrified that she would be able to know that something had happened with him and Maria. Not that anything had _really_ happened, and it had been many months ago. Nothing was certainly happening now, he thought, more to convince himself of that fact than anything. But he still feared that Max would spill the beans or Elsa would be able to put two and two together.

He pushed those thoughts away. He would deal with that when it confronted him. If Elsa suspected something, he had no doubts that he would be the first to hear about it.

For now, he knew that he had to think of a way to explain himself to both Maria and Max, knowing they were both likely very confused. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer that he would find the strength to be able to make everything right.

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**A/N: I got this chapter done a lot faster than I thought I was going to be able to. I think I felt bad about leaving it on such a cliffhanger.**

**I don't know how I feel about this chapter, in all honesty. I had it planned out to go in a completely different direction, but the story began writing itself.**

**Georg's vulnerable moment will be important for future chapters, although writing it I felt he might have been slightly out of character from the stoic movie Georg that didn't show as much emotion. That's the beautiful thing about fanfiction though. You are given characters that you can add dimensions and layers to. I just hope I didn't do him too much injustice. **

**That being said, I feel like this is the point in the story where I'm going to start diverting from the original plot we all know and love. This is a modern AU, so I really want to shake things up and experiment. Of course, the original plot will still be there loosely to guide the characters on their journey. **

**I'm really excited for the next few chapters, and I can't wait for you guys to see what I have in store. However, this month I have quite a lot on my plate, so I can't promise speedy updates.**

**I'm going to put the warning out there that this story will be subject to a rating change. It won't happen anytime soon, but it is something that will be happening eventually.**

**I've gone on for far too long. As always, your lovely reviews always bring a smile to my face. Thank you for reading my trash baby.**


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: I'm sorry this update took so long. The last week has been crazy busy. I didn't find a lot of time to write. I also had a hard time with this chapter. I felt it was necessary as a stepping stone into the rest of the story, but it also really feels just like a filler. It was a pain to write and certainly not my best writing, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. Hopefully the next update will come out shortly. **

**Oh, and I've gotten a couple comments from people asking what year this is set in. I don't necessarily have a year in mind. Anywhere within the last decade is where my mind has been when writing this.**

**Thank you so very much for reading!**

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As Maria picked at her potatoes, she reflected on how the dinner she was attending was just as awkward as the one she shared with the von Trapp family on her first night – in a completely different way.

The first meal with the von Trapp family had been similarly quiet and strained; however, this time, Maria had no desire to speak through the meal. Everyone stayed rather quiet through dinner. Each person drowning in their own thoughts. Maria assumed that the children were contemplating on their father's new attitude. They had been excited and relieved when Maria had re-entered the boys' rooms and had told her endlessly about the way their father had embraced each and every one of them.

Maria was happy for the children; it had been so long since they had seen their father, really seen him. For a moment they had seen their father from before their mother's death. They had seen the warm and caring father that most of them had grown up with. It warmed Maria's heart to watch them beam over their father's attentions. They had barely been able to wait for dinner to see him again.

However, once they had made it to the dining room, the tension in the air was thick as ever, but it was charged with a new energy.

Georg was polite enough as his children entered the dining room. He greeted each of them as they sat down, his gaze lingering on Kurt as Friedrich helped him into his seat. Gone were the cold, distant eyes that he had so often looked upon his children with. His gaze was warm and even loving as he watched his children settle down for a meal.

But then his gaze had fallen on Maria and she had felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw something that she couldn't quite identify resting in his blue irises. It wasn't the cold, hard stare she was used to. There was something that sparkled in his eyes as he greeted her. The sparkle unnerved her.

The whole incident in the empty storage room had unnerved her. He had been lecturing her about rules and discipline one minute, and he was nearly breaking down into tears the next.

She knew that her words had been harsh, that her truth had cut deep. That was the goal, she reminded herself, to make him realize that neglecting his children was wrong. But she hadn't expected such a strong reaction. In fact, she had expected him to get angry, to yell at her, to fire her in the end. She had not expected the usually rigid and stony man to crumble before her eyes.

She had felt bad, in the moment, for what she had said to him. It had obviously struck a chord deep within him and had been enough to make him break. It was nearly devastating to Maria to watch him lose control like that, and she couldn't for the life of her, fathom why. He had treated her indifferently from the moment she had stepped into his home, why should she be worried that she had upset him? She couldn't quite explain it to herself. Something about his shuddering breaths and the weight of his head on her shoulder threatened tears from her own eyes.

His state had struck her with an overwhelming pang of remorse. She had done the only thing she could think of doing; she had held him while he worked himself out. She wanted him to know that he wasn't alone. She wanted him to know that his feelings were okay. She had hoped that comforting him in that moment might make him see that he didn't always have to be stoic and icy, that he could let himself be vulnerable.

So, she placed her hands on his sides, feeling him tremble from the effort to hold back his emotions under her fingertips. She half expected him to bolt from her touch, but he had only tensed for a brief moment before relaxing into the contact.

She hadn't comforted anyone in a very long time. She had been on her own for so long that she was almost unsure of how to comfort Georg. She had thought back to when her father had held her when she had scraped her knee after falling off her bike for the first time. He had cradled her to him and smoothed his hand over her hair until she had stopped crying.

Maria had tentatively reached a hand up to Georg's head. She had hesitated for a moment as she remembered the last time she had touched his hair. She had marveled at how soft it was. But she shook those thoughts out of her head. Now was certainly not the time or the place for those thoughts to enter her mind. Even though, she reflected, it all seemed eerily similar as she was trapped between the wall and his body once again.

As she stroked his hair gently, she had felt his breathing normalize against her shoulder. She tried desperately to avoid thinking about the feeling of his warm breath whispering across her collar bone. It was an awkward embrace at best. Considering their brief but erratic history, there was a lot unsaid that filled Maria with anxiety.

Thoughts had begun to fly at her at record speed. Would he fire her? Would he come out of his trance and become angrier? What was he thinking? Had she broken him?

When he slowly rose his head to meet her eyes, she felt all thoughts fly out of her head. He had looked at her with something completely unrecognizable. The sadness and pain were clear in his eyes, but there was something else, something lighter about him. He watched her with such curiosity. He almost looked as if he were in a trance, trying to solve a mystery without any evidence.

Maria was concerned, yes, but she also felt a pang deep in her heart as she looked at his face. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the tension in the creases of his forehead. She had known in that moment that she had stepped completely over the line. She had brought up his failings as a father and his wife – the two things she knew would hit him where it hurt. She knew it was over for her, that once he collected himself, he would fire her.

She began to feel a sense of loss she hadn't felt in a very long time. In that moment she realized just how much she had come to care about his children. She wished desperately that she hadn't gone and made a mess of everything.

And then the singing sounded through the walls and Maria knew she was screwed. The children had told her of Georg's distaste for music since his wife had passed. He had locked up the music room and thrown away most of the music in the house – CDs, old records, sheet music, everything.

He couldn't stop the children completely from accessing music. Technology was rapidly developing, and they could easily access any music that their hearts desired. However, the children made it quite clear that when Georg heard them play music, his reactions were often moody and volatile. Many of the children didn't understand why, but Liesl and Friedrich had confirmed to Maria that music reminded him so much of his musically inclined wife that he forbid it from his presence.

She was sure she was going to lose her job – if not from her earlier actions and comments, then for allowing music back into his house without his permission.

As Georg had slipped away from her to investigate, he gave her a last glance through clouded eyes. He did not look angry, he looked more so confused. Maria had watched him leave with remorse settling deep in her chest. She had really made a mess of everything.

After a moment, she had followed in his direction to find him embracing each of his children and Maria couldn't help but smile to herself. Perhaps she had gotten through to him. But just because he had listened to what she had said, didn't mean that he was any less angry that she had spoken so candidly or broken his rules.

As she heard Brigitta ask where she was, she knew she was about to be found lurking outside the door. The last thing she needed was to be caught intruding on a private moment between Georg and his children to make him even more angry. She had spun around to retreat to her room, only to be stopped by the sound of her name being called.

She had been baffled by his use of her first name and the softness of his voice. He certainly didn't sound like the angry, cold man she had come to know. And his use of her first name had thrown her completely off guard. It was so much more personal than his distant call of 'Ms. Rainer' that he had only used minutes ago.

She was even more astonished when he had asked her to stay. She had truly expected to be leaving the house within the hour. She had almost convinced herself leaving would be the best thing for the situation but hearing Georg's pleading voice made her heart stop. He had practically begged her to stay on. Georg was not a man she ever imagined would beg.

And then Max and Elsa had walked up the stairs. Maria was completely perplexed, not so much by Max's appearance, but by Elsa's. Georg had told her that Elsa was not his girlfriend, but he had brought her home. His actions were quite a contradiction to his words and Maria couldn't help but feel a little skeptical about the situation.

The woman in front of her had been stunning. She was elegant and poised and utterly beautiful. Maria briefly wondered what Georg was thinking if Elsa wasn't, in fact, his girlfriend. Just by looking at her, Maria felt inferior. This woman seemed to be nearly perfect.

She had felt Georg's gaze on her, watching her reaction. She tried to keep herself composed, but she was truly shocked and a little confused. Bringing someone home to meet your children is not something most people take lightly.

Maria refused to let her mind linger on the thought too much. If Georg was really going to change, if he really wanted to make things different, she wanted to help him. She wasn't about to start throwing accusations around. So what if he had a girlfriend, anyway? He had told her two weeks ago that it really wasn't any of her business, and he was right. She shouldn't really care at all. But the sting in her chest was hard to ignore.

She had made a quick exit, barely succeeding to ignore the stares from Elsa, Max, and Georg as she walked towards the children's room.

Thinking back on the encounter, she cringed. She should have said something more. She felt like it was almost rude of her to walk away so quickly, but she had felt entirely too awkward with the three of them studying her as they were. Dinner was not much different.

The dining room was silent for a majority of the meal, only the clinking of silverware and the ticking of the clock echoed throughout the room.

The children had lost their chatty aura that Maria had gotten used to after the past two weeks. While they had been overjoyed by his embraces earlier, they seemed rather skeptical around their father still. She understood that they might be wary around him; after five years of being practically ignored by the man, it was hard to imagine he could change so quickly.

Max and Elsa sat across from each other on either side of Georg. Their conversation was minimal, and from what Maria could tell, they seemed to be keeping their gazes down at their plates. Max would occasionally look in Georg's direction with a pointed stare for a moment before returning to his food. Maria couldn't help but feel guilty. Max _had_ seen what happened that night all those months ago. He was also Elsa's friend. From what Maria could tell, Georg hadn't mentioned the incident to Elsa, which put Max in a precarious position.

Georg was another matter entirely. He refused to look at anyone after the commencing of the meal. He looked as if he were inhaling his food at lightening speed, likely trying to get away from the tense atmosphere as quickly as possible.

He had looked up only once and his eyes had locked with Maria's in a burning stare that made Maria feel uncomfortably warm. It was the intensity of his eyes that made the heat rise to her cheeks with new vigor. She couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking past those blue orbs, though she felt herself grow desperately curious. In the end, she had been the one to break the eye contact, not trusting herself to look at him any longer without turning into a tomato shade.

Maria tried to keep her eyes on her food, but she couldn't help but feel a little distracted. The children's silence was unnerving, Max and Elsa's presence was still very new, and Georg's unsettling look made her mind race. Her eyes subconsciously flitted about the room, not landing on any one thing for long.

Her dinner had also been left nearly untouched. While Maria usually enjoyed food and looked forward to mealtimes, something about the vibe during dinner set her off from eating much. She had felt a nervous pit grow in the bottom of her stomach that made food seem rather unappetizing.

It wasn't just the silence; it was her thoughts. The situation the adults had found themselves in was taking its toll on Maria's mind. Would Georg tell Elsa what had happened months ago? Would Max confront her about it? Or worse, would Georg confront her about it? The thoughts and questions running through her mind were enough to fill her stomach with dread. The uncertainty left her heart hammering in her chest.

Everyone finished their dinner at, what Maria was sure to be, a record pace. No one seemed very eager to linger. Georg dismissed the children in a soft tone, giving them a gentle smile as he did so. He looked years younger when he smiled, Maria reflected. Max and Elsa rose next, and Maria followed suit before a voice made her still.

"Maria, may I speak to you in my study?" There it was again. He had said _Maria_. The sound of her name rolling off his tongue in such a soft, rich tone threatened a shudder through her body, but she fought against it. _My body is just reacting to the discomfort_, she told herself, _not his voice_.

Max shot a glare in Georg's direction, cocking his head to the side as if asking a silent question. Georg quickly amended himself, evading Max's death glare. "To speak about Kurt's condition. I didn't get the full story."

Max did not relinquish his glare from Georg. He stared at Georg as if he had just smacked him across the face. Georg quirked an eyebrow at Max innocently, as if he didn't know why Max was upset. Max had only sighed.

"Elsa, I fancy a stroll through Georg's garden to work off the delicious meal I just consumed. Would you like to join me?" Max asked, his tone much lighter and more playful than his face allowed. Elsa looked from Georg to Maria to Max, her eyes clouded with a hint of skepticism. But she quickly composed herself.

"We might as well if Georg is going to be otherwise occupied," Elsa replied in a sweet tone. Georg smiled up at her politely.

"It won't take long," he told her. Elsa nodded and placed her hand on Georg's shoulder, letting her fingers drag across him as she made her way out of the room, Max following on her heels.

Georg rose from his seat as he watched Max and Elsa leave the room. When they were gone, he turned his gaze to the other end of the table where Maria stood. She felt herself flush again under his scrutiny. She tried to look away, but his gaze kept pulling her eyes back to his like a magnet.

"If you'll follow me," he muttered, almost in a shy way. He finally looked away from her and turned towards the exit, nodding his head for her to follow. She felt her legs moving on their own accord to meet him. He gave her a slight smile before beginning to walk with her down the corridor.

They reached a door Maria had seen before but never dared to enter. Mrs. Schmidt had told Maria that it was Georg's study, and that no one but him ever went in there. Maria was briefly confused as to why he would invite her in if he never let anyone else in there. She quickly pushed those thoughts away. Reading too much into his actions was a sure way to get herself into trouble.

He produced a key from the pocket of his slacks, and for the first time, she noticed that he wasn't wearing his typical jacket and tie. He wore a clean pressed light blue button down and grey slacks, and Maria was rather shocked. Of course, she had only seen him a total of four days, but besides the night he walked into her bedroom to catch her singing with his children, she hadn't seen him without a tie, and only one other time without a jacket. She had briefly thought he slept in a suit.

He opened the door and stepped aside, holding out his hand in a gesture for her to enter. She shot him a shy smile, being careful to not let her eyes linger on his face. She was taken back by the room as she walked through the door. It was a large room with dark colored shelves stuffed with books spanning nearly the entire perimeter, save for the large window behind his desk that flooded the room with dim light from the setting sun. The furniture in the room was a mix of modern and antiques pieces; an old mahogany desk, a giant leather chair, a large tv against the wall next to the door.

"The house is rather old. I believe it was built in nineteen-ten. I didn't want to ruin too much of the original outlay because it had so much history. A lot of the furniture actually came with the house," Georg told her. She heard the door clicked shut and she turned to look at him. He leaned back against the door, a lazy smile on his face as he too looked around the room.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked, examining the titles on one of the bookshelves. It looked like he carried a lot of classical literature, which didn't surprise her with the children's required reading list.

"Since Liesl was born. When we found out we were having a child, I decided we needed a proper home. We were living in a rather small apartment in Vienna at the time, and it was no place to raise a child. I looked for months for somewhere suitable, but everything seemed to be out of our price range. I was still in the lower ranks of the navy at the time and while Agathe's parents were wealthy, they had cut her off when she had made the decision to marry me against their wishes," Georg said, a small smile planted on his face as he got a distant look in his eye. Maria was surprised that he had mentioned his wife. Mrs. Schmidt had once told her that he would never bring her up if he could help it.

"An uncle of mine who had been living quite comfortably for years suddenly passed away. Though I didn't know him well, he had left his estate and a large sum of inheritance to me. He had never married and had never had any children of his own, so I suppose I was his closest relative. He had lived here for nearly five decades and kept it in pristine shape. I knew from the moment I walked through the doors that this was the perfect place to raise a family," he reminisced. Maria couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face as he told her how he came to live in such a grand house. She realized she knew next to nothing about Georg but hearing such a small detail of his life gave her insight into both his past and his character.

She noticed his smile fall rapidly as he came back to himself. His face turned to stone and Maria was afraid that perhaps he was angry. Perhaps nothing had changed.

"It was the perfect place to raise a family, until I destroyed my family," he spat bitterly. Maria knew he was speaking more to himself than to her, but she felt the urge to answer, to put his mind at ease.

"You went through something unimaginable. Healing takes time," she said, hoping to lessen his suffering a little. While she had thrown the same accusation at him only hours ago, she didn't want him to feel that way. She didn't want him to feel like he had destroyed his family because in reality, he didn't. He had been suffering for years about losing the love of his life, and it wasn't right for Maria to tell him that he wasn't allowed to grieve. Everybody grieved for different amounts of time, Maria should have been more sympathetic to that fact.

"Yes, well, it shouldn't have taken five years," he muttered, pushing himself off the door to walk over to the plush leather sofa off to the far side of the room. He sat down and nodded his head to indicate that she should join him. She took a few tentative steps towards the couch, suddenly unsure of herself.

It felt odd being alone with him now. She wasn't sure what to expect. He certainly didn't seem like the icy man she had known only hours ago. His gaze was warm as he watched her walk towards the couch. But she couldn't help but feel out of place. She had no idea who this man was anymore. The change had come so rapidly that she couldn't tell in what direction the conversation would go.

"I'm not going to bite, Maria," he said, a smirk plastered on his face. She quickened her pace and perched herself on the edge of the couch, avoiding his gaze entirely. A silence fell between them. Maria didn't know what to say, she didn't even know why he had asked to speak with her. He had said it was about Kurt, maybe he was waiting for her to explain further. Before she could open her mouth, he was speaking.

"I assume you might have some questions," Georg said, rubbing his hand against his neck as he looked down at his shoes. Oh, so that's what he wanted to talk about? Had he sensed her apprehension about Elsa? Did he really want to bring up that night? Maria didn't think she could bear it. She didn't want to hear that he had lied to her or that he had made a mistake that night. If Georg was really making a change, she didn't want to fight with him anymore.

"No. At least not what you may think I have questions about. You were right, it's not really any of my business," she spoke softly, keeping her gaze fixed over his left shoulder at his mahogany desk. It was easier to look past him than at him if he was really going to bring that topic up.

"Look, Maria, about that night," he started with a heavy sigh. Maria stilled; her entire body went rigid. She couldn't listen to what he was about to say. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks at just the mention of that night.

"Don't," she said a little more harshly than she intended. He raised his eyebrows at her. She gave him an apologetic look. "I just mean that it's in the past. We said we would forget about it. Why don't we just start over?"

Georg's face broke out into a grin, showing off his boyish dimples and Maria couldn't help but keep her gaze plastered on his face. When he grinned in such a way, he really was quite endearing. She cursed at the fluttering deep within her chest.

"Really? You mean we could forget about what a beast I've been to you?" he asked, his smile faltering as his expression grew more serious. She could see the regret clear in his eyes. She shook her head lightly.

"I wasn't anymore polite to you. Perhaps a fresh start would do us some good," she shrugged. He nodded in agreement.

"I like the sound of that," he replied. Maria smiled and outstretched her hand.

"Hi. I'm Maria," she greeted. He looked at her hand curiously before closing his own hand around hers, giving it a small shake. Maria ignored the small jolt in her stomach at the warmth of his skin.

"Hi Maria. I'm Georg, it's nice to meet you," he said. He held her hand a second longer than necessary before he released it, leaning back into the cushions. Maria looked away, willing her cheeks to cool down. "I meant what I said earlier, I haven't seen my children so happy, or so open, in a very long time. How did you do it?"

"I just got to know them. They weren't really receptive to a new governess at first, but after I played a game with them…" she trailed off. She was revealing yet another rule she had broken. She knew he was trying to be different, but she wasn't sure how much one person could change in a day. He might still be angry about her breaking the rules. However, she was proven wrong by his light chuckle from beside her.

"It's okay. You've already broken a majority of my rules, what's one more?" he said. There was no anger or coldness in his voice, but Maria still felt the guilt stir in her chest.

"I am truly sorry about that. It wasn't right of me to go against your orders. They're your children," she said quietly, looking at her feet. She heard Georg sigh.

"And look how well I've treated them over the years. You were right, I treated them like prisoners in their own home. You came along and changed everything, but I've never seen them so… alive. Then again, I never paid attention," he spoke remorsefully. Maria looked up at him. There was a deep frown settling on her face that she had the urge to take away. After hurting him so much with her words already, she just wanted to make it right.

"I still shouldn't have gone against your orders. I had a job to do and I failed to do it today," she said softly. He shifted his gaze to hers.

"You mean Kurt?" he asked. She nodded gently. "That wasn't you fault. Kurt told me what happened. I'm sorry I tried to accuse you of neglecting your duties."

"I'm just glad it wasn't worse," she told him. He smiled gently, watching her carefully before his features fell slightly.

"Although there is one thing we do need to speak about," Georg said. Maria nodded for him to continue. "I know you were concerned about Kurt first and foremost, but if we're going to work together, you can't hang up on me like you did. I was scared half to death."

"I'm sorry about that. I really am. I realize how worried that must have made you. I won't do anything like that again," she told him earnestly. He nodded.

"I believe you. With that out of the way, there's something I'd like to ask you." He shifted on the couch to face her fully.

"Anything."

"Well, we've already covered that I've been an abominable father. Don't deny it, you said as much earlier, and you were right. But I don't want to be a distant father anymore. Watching them come together and sing one of her favourite songs today… I haven't felt so alive in a very long time. I guess I was wondering, because you seemed to have gained their trust, would you be willing to help me? I'm at a loss about how to make the last five years up to my children, all I know is that I desperately want to make things right. I don't know if I can do it on my own. Could we work together?"

Maria was astonished. He was so genuine in his question. It was apparent that he was desperate to make things better with his children, but she was thrown off by his plea for help. She had never pegged Georg as the type of man to ask for help. Even when she had met him at the nightclub nearly four months ago, he had seemed entirely independent.

"Do you think I can help you?" she asked. She was flattered in a sense that he was asking for her help, but she doubted her capabilities to assist him in winning back his children's hearts. She didn't feel that there was much she could do. All he had to do was open his heart up a little and he would have all of them wrapped around his finger.

"I do. As I said, they seem to trust you. I just don't know where to start in making things right," he replied. He was looking at his hands as he twiddled with his thumbs in his lap.

Maria watched him for a moment. How could someone do a complete one-eighty in a day? He had been harsh and angry when he had returned from Vienna. He had been extremely upset that she had broken his rules, and he had thrown numerous accusations at her. Now, here he sat, admitting his wrongs and asking for _her_ help. It was baffling to see such a change.

Even his demeanor was more relaxed. He sat back on the couch, settled into the cushions comfortably. His muscles were no longer tense, his face no longer held a permanent scowl. His eyes held guilt and pain in them, but his features were much more relaxed. This was the Georg that she remembered from the club and seeing that man again, the one who had driven her to madness, both pleased her and frightened her.

"I'd very much like to work as a team, if you want to," Maria spoke after a moment. He glanced up at her.

"I really do want us to work as a team," he started, "I think I'll be able to accomplish more if you help me."

"Well, there's no right or wrong way to start. If you want to be closer to them, the best thing to do is to spend time with them. It's all they really want. They want to get to know you and let them get to know you," Maria told him. He nodded, throwing his arm over the back of the couch. Maria noted that his hand was only inches from her shoulder as he began tapping his fingers against the leather in a random pattern.

"But will it be enough? Shouldn't I be doing something… more? I caused them five years of suffering, I don't know if simply spending some time with them will make them forgive me," he said quietly.

"It will be. That's all they've wanted for the last five years, is to spend some time with their father. The older ones may be wary at first, but the more time you spend with them, the more they will believe that it isn't some trick," she replied, hoping to ease his mind. She knew that he felt like he owed them a lot more than just letting them into his heart, but she wanted to make him see that it was all he had to do. He was overcomplicating the situation. He seemed to think that he needed to make some sort of grand gesture to win back their affections, but what he didn't realize was that he had their affections the whole time.

He seemed to contemplate Maria's words for a moment before nodding slowly in agreement. He didn't look entirely convinced, but she knew after some time he would understand that he didn't need to make some extravagant effort for his children.

"Well, you've made it quite clear that the rules will have to change," he said, shooting her a sly smile. Maria let out a breathy laugh.

"Are you sure?" she asked. It seemed as if every other sentence out of her mouth was asking him if he was sure. She just couldn't believe how quickly the change had come over him. It was almost as if she were asking if he was sure to make sure it was real, that his change was real.

"I'm positive, Maria," he replied. Maria felt a smile spread across her face. If someone had told her the day before that Georg von Trapp would come home and want to change his rules and win back the hearts of his children in the same day, Maria would have laughed in their face. However, she couldn't deny the genuine sparkle in his eye that told her his desire for change.

She opened her mouth, ready to give him a few suggestions, when a knock came at the door of the study. Georg and Maria both broke eye contact to look at the door where Max was sauntering through.

"Georg," he bellowed in a jovial voice. Max's eyes spoke a much different story from his tone. He eyed Georg's hand only inches from Maria with disdain. "As much as I love walking around your gardens, I'm in need of a drink. I was hoping that you might join Elsa and I for a nightcap?"

Elsa made her entrance at the sound of her name, looking radiant in a cream skirt and a silk pink blouse. Maria once again found herself staring in awe at the woman. She made elegance seem effortless. Her mind once again wandered back to what Georg had told her two weeks ago. He had to be lying. Elsa and Georg would certainly make a handsome couple. She quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind once again. Why was she dwelling on it?

"Um, yes, of course. Perhaps we can go to one of the sitting rooms? I'll join you in a moment," Georg said, as he cleared his throat. Maria could hear his fingers tapping once again against the couch. Max narrowed his eyes in Georg's direction, a look Maria was getting quite used to from Max.

"I can give you five minutes and then I can't be accountable for my actions. The drive was long today, and I desperately need some wine," Max feigned exasperation as he turned in Elsa's direction. Elsa chuckled.

"It wouldn't matter how long the drive was, Max, you are always in desperate need of some wine," Elsa retorted. Max scoffed at her before extending his arm out, signalling for her to take the lead. The two walked out, but not before Max sent another glare over his shoulder at Georg, and a small, apologetic smile at Maria.

Georg sighed loudly, causing Maria to look back at him. His head had dropped back against the couch while his eyes had closed. A frown had settled on his face. Maria wondered why. He often chose to go to Vienna to spend time with Max and Elsa, but then why did he looked less than thrilled to see them now?

"I enjoy Max and Elsa, I really do," he spoke as if reading her mind, "it's just been an emotionally taxing day. I'd like nothing more than to go to bed."

"It's not even the children's bedtime," she quipped quietly. She heard a strained chuckle come from his throat as he raised his head and opened his eyes.

"You're right. I must be getting old," he muttered, fixing her with a sheepish stare. Maria paused. She realized she didn't even know how old he was. In the nightclub, she would have guessed he was in his thirties. He certainly didn't look _that_ old, despite his greying temples. Upon finding out he was the father of seven children and had been married for nearly twenty years before his wife passed, she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that he had to be older, but she couldn't be sure how much older.

Her brain set upon doing the math in her head, not realizing that she was just blatantly staring at Georg without saying a word.

"Are you okay?" His voice brought her out of her reverie as she watched him lean toward her, his deep irises holding concern in them. Maria nodded gently, suddenly feeling light headed.

"Yes, fine. I suppose I'm a bit tired too, is all. I should probably check on the children," she said as she stood. In all honesty, she just needed to leave the room. Everything he had said, all the change he was making, Elsa and Max's arrival – it was all becoming overwhelming.

"Of course. Perhaps we can discuss some new rules in the morning?" Georg asked, following suit and standing as well.

"Sure, whatever works for you, sir," she replied before turning to exit the room.

"Maria?" she stopped as he heard him call her name. She turned slightly to look at him. "You've done an extraordinary thing today. Thank you."

Maria could have fallen to her knees at the honesty in his voice and the remorse in his eyes. She wasn't used to such a side to him. In truth, this new Georg left her mind fuzzy. He was polite, kind, and open-minded. Something she never thought she'd see, or rather never see after that one night.

"Goodnight, Captain," she said. He gave her a weak smile.

"Goodnight, Maria," he replied. Maria turned to leave then, but she couldn't help but feel the burn of his gaze on her as she exited the room.

She exhaled a breath she hadn't known she was holding. What was happening to her? She wasn't sure, but she knew that the way her heart fluttered ever so slightly when he smiled only meant trouble.


	8. Chapter Eight

Georg woke with the rising sun, feeling far more refreshed than he had in a very long time. As he stretched his limbs under the silk sheets, he found himself smiling. It was a new day, one in which he could start the journey to repair his relationship with his children. While he was still fearful that they wouldn't take to him as quickly as he might hope, he was eager to try all the same. He had confidence in Maria's help.

Maria was a wonder, he thought to himself. He knew he had made a change in the previous day, but it was striking to see a drastic change in her as well. She was certainly less feisty, much less accusatory about his parenting. In fact, she had practically defended him against himself. He felt guilty, if he was being honest with himself. He felt as if he had stripped her of her nature to reveal a much more timid Maria. Or at least, she was timid around him.

He had passed the children's rooms on his way to bed after a quick nightcap with Max and Elsa. He hadn't been able to stop himself from peering in, just to sneak a glance. Seven bodies were sat around Kurt's bed, each one laughing and giggling to the point of near tears. Georg couldn't fathom what could be so funny, but he couldn't care less. Seeing his children laugh so freely warmed his heart. He couldn't even be bothered to interrupt to announce it was time for bed.

It was nice to see Maria laugh too. Their conversations since she had come to work for him had been so strained and tense, which he was no doubt in large part to blame for that. Seeing her laugh so naturally and effortlessly filled him with a sense of hope he wasn't sure he had ever possessed.

He had gone into his room that night and slipped under the sheets feeling like a changed man. In a matter of minutes, he was able to let go of everything that had built inside him over the years. He knew he had not completely dealt with everything he needed to. There were a lot of memories and emotions that he hadn't yet confronted, and he knew the next few weeks would be difficult and mentally taxing. He wasn't scared though, as he had been in the past. He felt ready to finally face his demons and make things right once again.

He had fallen asleep more soundly than he could remember in the past five years. He had briefly thought that he would have a restful sleep, one in which disturbing dreams weren't able to plague it subconscious for once. He had been proven very wrong.

It had only been half past one when he jolted awake in his bed, drenched in sweat from another insufferable dream. He had hoped that making amends with Maria would have made the dreams stop. He had hoped that their newfound partnership might tamper down his unwanted attraction to her. His body claimed otherwise.

He sat up in bed and willed the dreams to stop. They had agreed to start over, to forget about the entire incident that had plagued his subconscious for weeks. They had agreed to work together for the sake of repairing the damage he had done to his children. The last thing he needed was to be having dreams about Maria, with both Maria and Elsa under his roof for goodness' sake.

He took a cold shower, which was becoming routine for him in the middle of the night. When his body had calmed down, he slipped back under his covers and tried to expel any thought of Maria from his mind. Instead, he thought about his children and how he was going to win them back. He had recited his list of ridiculous rules that he was determined to change until his mind began to trail off into the realm of sleep.

Waking to a new day, with no other dreams having plagued his sleep, left Georg in a relatively good mood. He could see the orange strands of light streaming through his curtains. He could hear the birds singing in the yard. It filled him with a sense of hope for the day.

He stretched out one last time before throwing his legs over the side of the bed and standing. He threw open the curtains, letting the rising sun bathe his body in warmth. He took a step towards his nightstand table and checked the time on his phone. It was nearly seven. Breakfast would be served at seven-thirty.

With that in mind, he began to get dressed. He had always been partial to suits, he believed it made a man look more dignified, more important. However, today was not a day to look important. He didn't want to intimidate his children as he often had. He knew if he wanted to get them to open up to him, he had to start treating meals more like a family affair rather than a business meeting. He stood in his walk-in closet, weighing his options.

His suits lined one wall of the closet. On the other wall hung all the clothes he hadn't worn in years. He looked between the two sides of the closet as he tried to make a decision.

Turning away from the suits, he looked at the clothes he hadn't touched in half a decade. An array of jeans came into his line of sight. When was the last time he had worn jeans anyhow? He pulled a pair off the hanger.

Now he just needed a top. The left side of his closet held several jumpers, t-shirts, and polos, all of which he could never bring himself to wear after Agathe. She had always told him she liked it when he 'dressed down'.

He huffed to himself as he came to the realization that his suits had been like armour. He wore them as a defense mechanism, keeping everyone on the outside. He couldn't do that anymore. He couldn't walk around in a suit of armour if he wanted his children to let him in, if he wanted to let his children in.

He decided on a dark polo. It was the next step down from a button down in his wardrobe. It was the safest choice. He didn't want to change _that _drastically. He wasn't sure he could handle it yet.

He began to slip the garments on, cringing slightly at the unfamiliar fabric of the denim against his leg. He supposed it would take some time to get acquainted with jeans again.

After slipping his shirt over his head, he made his way to the bathroom. He scarcely recognized himself. Not only was he wearing foreign clothes, there was something about the way he looked. It was as if his skin were glowing.

He smiled slightly at his reflection and was surprised at the result. That was it; he looked younger. Without the permanent scowl and brooding eyes, he looked years younger.

He set about taming his unruly hair, a process that took more time than he was ever willing to admit. Once he got all the locks in place, he gave himself one more glance in the mirror. Feeling satisfied, he went to grab his phone and keys before slipping on a pair of shoes and then exiting the room to make it down to breakfast.

As usual, Georg was the first to arrive. He typically arrived first for all meals due to his strict naval puntuality. He had learned the hard way that being early was better than the risk of being late.

He took his usual seat at the head of the table, leaning back in his chair and waiting for the others to arrive. He felt his palms begin to get clammy as he waited. He looked down at his hand that was trembling slightly in front of him. Was he nervous? He supposed he was. He wanted to make a good impression. He wanted to laugh at the idea of a father wanting to make a good impression on his children, the idea seemed ridiculous.

He had not been seated for five minutes before he began to hear the clicking of footsteps against the marble floor. He turned in his seat, smiling as he watched his children file into the dining room, Maria taking up the back of the group.

Overall, the expressions of the children were mildly confused as they took in their father's appearance. The man sitting at their dining table was not a man they knew. This man had a smile on his face and an attire that was not made up of a suit. This was a man they had known many years ago but hadn't seen in a very long time.

Maria's face was one of utter bafflement as she walked into the dining room. For a split second, her mouth had hung agape, and her eyes had widened as she stopped dead in her tracks. Gretl had collided with Maria's leg, pulling her from her trance. Maria quickly composed herself and pulled Gretl with her to the far end of the table, evading her eyes from Georg's direction as she got Gretl settled in her seat.

Georg couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at Maria's reaction. The way her cheeks had flushed at the sight of him filled Georg with a sense of pure male pride he hadn't felt in a while.

Once all of the children and Maria had sat down, he commenced the meal. He didn't expect Max or Elsa to rise before ten. Unlike him, they were not morning people in the slightest. Besides, he had left them with a bottle of wine between the two of them and had no idea when they ended up calling it a night.

Breakfast began much like dinner had the night before. It was quiet, no one in the room quite knowing what to say or do besides pick at their eggs. Georg took a moment to survey the table. The eldest five children sat with their gazes cast downwards, stony expressions glued to their faces. Marta and Gretl, completely oblivious to any tension in the air, scarfed down their meals with impressive speed for two young girls.

However, Georg noticed that Maria was the only person whose gaze was not on her plate. She was looking right at Georg, well right at his chest. Her gaze would flicker from his chest to his upper arms, which were only half concealed by the sleeves of his shirt, only to revert back to his chest once again. From the look on her face, she was completely unaware of what she was doing, but Georg was very aware.

Her gaze made him feel… naked. His body burned everywhere her gaze travelled, which puzzled him. How could her eyes ignite a fire on his skin? What puzzled him even more was the tightness in his chest as he watched her eyes flick about his torso. It was almost suffocating, and he couldn't quite fathom why his body was having such a reaction.

He cleared his throat, causing Maria's eyes to cast upwards to meet his own. She immediately looked away from him, staring down at her plate as a delicious blush crept into her cheeks. Georg smiled to himself as he looked back at his own meal, but he quickly dismissed the smile. He shouldn't be enjoying Maria's attention. They had agreed to start over and be partners, that was all there was to it.

He couldn't let himself get confused. He was letting his gratitude for her shape into something else, and he couldn't let that happen.

To distract himself, Georg tested out some light conversation. His children had all looked up at him bewildered when he spoke in a gentle tone at the dining table. Georg starting a conversation during a meal was practically unheard of, at least unheard of for the last number of years.

Georg had felt uncertain at first about starting a conversation. He felt that commenting on the weather was something so small and useless in engaging his children. Looking across the table at Maria, she gave him an encouraging smile that let him know it was a good place to start.

The children had very little to say, which put a damper on his spirits. He knew they wouldn't necessarily warm up to him right away, he just wished he could see the smiles and laughter he had shared with them the day before, as brief as it had been.

Maria seemed to sense his dilemma and did what she could to save him from dying of embarrassment in front of his own children. When the children didn't say much, she engaged in conversation with him. He could feel the tension slowly slip from the room as the children became aware of the fact that Georg and Maria were a united front to some degree. With Maria's help, he slowly drew more and more words out of his children. He shot her a grateful smile and was delighted when he received a small nod of acknowledgement. He felt more confident with Maria's assistance.

It was a small step, he knew that. He knew he had to be patient if he wanted to make up for the mistakes he had made and the fear he had caused in his children. However, he was grateful all the same to just hear them talk to him, even if they were a little wary.

As breakfast came to a close, he considered it a victory. A small victory, but a victory, nonetheless. But he still had some things to take care of that morning, he remembered. He promised Maria they would speak about changing his overbearing rules.

As the children were getting up to leave, he asked her to stay behind to join him in his study. He was met with seven worried eyes.

"But father, Maria said she'd help me with my maths," Marta spoke up, her voice quiet but firm. Georg smiled at the young girl, hoping it was reassuring.

"And she will. I just have to speak with her for a moment. I promise she'll be right up to help you with your studies," he told each of his children. He briefly wondered if they still feared that he was going to fire her. Perhaps they thought his good temper that morning had been some sort of ruse and that he was still going to take away their beloved governess. He winced at the idea.

The children reluctantly left the dining room, shooting somber glances at Maria. Georg watched as she shot them a reassuring smile back and told them quietly that she would, in fact, be up in a moment. At least there was one person who wasn't still afraid of him.

Though, that was not entirely true, Georg reflected. She was rather timid around him after their time together in the storage room, something that both shocked and pained him a little. Maybe she _was_ fearful of him after he had all but broken down in front of her. Maybe his vulnerability had been too much.

The two of them walked out of the dining room, back towards his study once again. He pulled out his key from the pocket of his jeans and unlocked the door. He spared a glance at Maria, who stood beside him, once again setting her gaze on his upper arm. He stifled a chuckle, instead opening the door and gesturing for her to enter.

Once she was in the room, he gently closed the door and walked past her to take a seat at his desk.

"Please, take a seat," he said, extending his hand to the armchair on the other side of his desk. She took a few tentative steps before sitting in the chair. Georg narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched her.

At breakfast, they had seemed to be on the same page. They were pleasant in their conversation, and she did not back down from talking to him. However, when they were alone, she seemed to put up a wall between them, just as she had in the beginning of their conversation the previous night. It was curious to Georg, and it was quite anxiety provoking. He really hoped that he didn't make her feel uncomfortable.

Georg stayed quiet for a moment, resting his arms on the arm rests of his chair as he observed Maria. She kept her eyes to her hands as she twisted them in her lap. She sat rigid in her chair, and the unmistakable flush in her cheeks was ever present. He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to be afraid of him, that he wasn't going to hurt her, but he figured just telling her those things wouldn't be enough to convince her. It would take more than just a few words. Actions had always spoken louder than words. He cleared his throat.

"I had hoped we would be able to discuss changing some of the rules today. I know you relaxed them a bit while I was away, so why don't you tell me what changes you made?" he started the conversation, trying his best not to sound accusatory. When he had arrived home the previous day, he had been livid at the thought of his rules being trifled with. However, seeing how his children had blossomed under Maria's care, he knew she was doing something right.

"Well, I mentioned breaks during their studies," she commented quietly. Georg nodded.

"Yes, how often did you give them breaks?" he asked, slightly unnerved by the quietness of her voice. He was desperate for her to just meet his eyes.

"Well, we came to an agreement. Their phones stay out of sight while they study, and I give them a break. For every hour they worked, I gave them a fifteen-minute break to check their phones, or in the case of the little ones, to play a game. I know it may seem like a little much, but it really increased their productivity," she told him. She looked rather on edge while she was explaining the children's breaks. She wrung her hands in her lap, shifted in her seat, and she still wouldn't meet his eyes. She obviously still held some reservations about just how much he had changed.

"I'm inclined to believe you," he replied. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of doubt in his words. He gave her a soft smile, hoping it would ease her mind. He truly wasn't angry, nor could he be. He believed that in that very moment, he wouldn't care what rules she had broken, just as long as his children were happy.

"I also gave them a half hour before lunch of free time. They work so hard, I just thought they deserved it," she urged, as if trying to convince him. He shrugged, drawing her attention down to his shoulders and upper arms once again. He fought back a shudder that threatened to course through his body under her scrutiny.

"As long as they are on track, that seems fine to me. Now, do they usually study outside?" he inquired, ignoring the unsteady thrumming in his chest as her gaze lingered on his shoulders before finally reaching his eyes.

"Not always. If it's a nice morning, the children seem to like studying in the fresh air. We do study in the study room as well, though," she told him. Georg smiled. When he was younger, he had always rather be outdoors than cooped up inside. It was almost laughable that he had tried to deny his children the outdoors; they came by their love of nature naturally.

"And they are productive outside?" he questioned, already knowing the likely answer.

"Oh, yes. I would say almost more productive outside," she said. Georg nodded, he thought as much.

"Then it's entirely up to your discretion where they study, as long as they get some work done," he replied. "What about their required reading?"

"They are on track for that as well. They children seem to enjoy reading aloud. I give each of them a part to read. Friedrich and Kurt have the most entertaining voices," she told him, a fond smile forming on her face. "Although, I've cut the reading time in order for the children to all play a game together instead of walking around the lake. At first, they were a bit wary, but they've come to enjoy running around together."

"What kind of games?" he asked. He noticed that she had opened up a little more, and he took relief in that fact. She wasn't fidgeting as much in her seat, and she was able to maintain eye contact with him. He took it as a good sign. He had hoped that she was becoming a little more comfortable in his presence.

"We've played capture the flag a couple times. We've played a variety of tag games and hide and go seek. I usually let the children pick amongst themselves," she replied.

"Physical education is important. I did not necessarily follow an adequate physical education," he muttered, scratching behind his ear. He was rather embarrassed on his lack of attention to that factor of his children's lives.

"Well, we can change that now, right?" she asked. Maria's eyes were filled with a refreshing innocence as she looked up at Georg. She made it seem so simple to undo all the wrongs he had committed against his children.

"I suppose that is the whole point of this meeting, yes," he chuckled. "Is there anything else you've implemented in their schedule that you'd like me to know about?"

"Instead of sending them off on their own after dinner, I've had them all sit together and watch a movie. Each of them gets a turn to pick a movie. Of course, I make sure they're appropriate for all the children," she told him.

Georg was taken aback by that. He couldn't remember a time all of his children had willingly sat in a room together to do something other than what was required of them. He could scarcely believe that they could all agree upon one movie. But that was the thing about Maria – she seemed to be able to do the impossible.

"Really? And they've enjoyed that time?" he inquired, blinking several times in Maria's direction. Her rosy lips quirked into a small smile.

"I would say so, yes," she replied. He had to smile at the thought of all of his children gathering in one of the sitting rooms and just enjoy a movie together. It was something he hadn't even thought about since Agathe had died, but if he was being honest with himself, he missed family movie nights. He was glad that Maria had given movie nights back to the children, even if she didn't truly realize the impact that it probably had on them.

He tapped his fingers against his chin as he digested the new information. So far, her changes of his rules seemed reasonable. She hadn't completely diverted from their schedule. In respect, her changes were actually quite subdued to what he had originally believed they would be. He had accused her of having no discipline, but she had proven him wrong. She kept the children in routine, made sure their work was done, and she even managed to get them to surrender their phones while they studied. He had to admit that he was rather impressed.

"I know you aren't necessarily fond of the idea that they all go to bed at the same time," he stated.

"I shouldn't have spoken so outwardly. If you think it's best that they all go to bed at eight, then that's the way it will be," she replied, her eyes flitting to the floor. He could tell by the grimace on her face that she disapproved wholeheartedly about the way bedtime was conducted. What bothered him was that she wasn't expressing her disapproval vocally. It seemed foreign to him for her not to speak out against his silly rules, as he had begun to come accustomed to.

"No, I think you were right on that account. Having my sixteen-year-old daughter go to bed at the same time as my five-year-old daughter seems ridiculous. What would you suggest?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know what she thought. She looked up to meet his eyes, her eyebrow quirked as she eyed him curiously.

"Marta and Gretl going to bed at eight seems completely reasonable. They are usually worn out by that time. Perhaps, Brigitta and Kurt could stay up an hour later, and Liesl, Friedrich, and Louisa could stay up and hour after that?" she suggested with a light shrug of her shoulders. Georg pondered this for a moment. It didn't seem unreasonable by any standards.

"Yes, that sounds fair," he said with a smile. "Thank you, Maria, truly. I think what you've done has been incredible. I can't thank you enough for the way you've cared for my children and for the way you've let me see how much wrong I was doing."

Georg watched a deep blush wash over Maria at his words, and Georg couldn't help but feel satisfied by the hue. He was dissatisfied, however, by the way she avoided his eyes.

"I can't take much credit in any of that I'm afraid. The children are incredible all on their own. And as for you, I think you realized all on your own, you just needed a little push," she said. Georg nearly scoffed at her inability to take a compliment. Did she not realize how much she had done for his children? For him? For god's sake, she had cracked through that stony mask he had kept on for five years when no one else could.

"Well, thank you for pushing me then. I needed it," he told her. He let a grin take hold of his face as he watched the colour in her cheeks darken. "I've probably kept you from the children for too long. No doubt they think I'm firing you, the tyrant I am."

"They don't think you're a tyrant. I just don't think they know who you are right now, and that makes them wary. But they love you very much. I can tell by the way they look at you. It just may take some time for them to come out of their shells," she told him earnestly. Georg blinked several times as he felt his body almost relax at her words. He hadn't realized how wound up he was about making amends with his children, and she had just tampered down his anxiety about it.

"How do you do that?" he asked in a quiet voice, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk as he studied her. She seemed to have an unnaturally calming presence and Georg marveled at it.

"How do I do what?" she asked timidly, carefully shifting her eyes to meet his again.

"Lift my spirits in a matter of minutes. I've been wracking my brain about how not to disappoint them, and you have dissipated those fears with a few words," he replied in a near whisper. He watched her eyes search his face before she answered him.

"I've been told I'm rather optimistic and it can be contagious. Anyways, you're right, I should probably get back to the children," she said as she rose from her seat. Georg smiled at her, ignoring the pang in his chest that she was leaving. Her optimism was contagious, and her words made him feel as if he could reconnect with his children more easily than his brooding thoughts allowed him.

"Yes, well, perhaps I can sit in on your required reading session later? I'm quite curious to hear these voices that my sons have conjured up," he said, smiling fondly. He used to read to the children in various ridiculous voices as they had settled into bed, and he was nearly ecstatic to hear that Kurt and Friedrich had remembered.

"I'm sure the children would love that, Captain," Maria told him. Georg frowned for a split second at the use of his title. He had hoped that they had moved past that. While she spoke his title with no animosity, it only reminded him of the cold way he had treated her. What could he expect though? He knew in the back of his mind that calling an employer by their given name could be deemed as unprofessional.

"I'll see you later then," he said, desperately trying to keep the hesitation from his voice. He felt the need to keep her in the room, to keep talking to her. He was curious about Maria. He found himself wanting to know more about her and the way she had magically gotten his children to open up.

"Have a good rest of your morning, sir," she threw over her shoulder as she walked away from his desk. He watched as she left the room, clicking the door shut behind her. He stared at the door for several moments after she had gone.

It was strange, he thought, that when talking about the children she could be very open and chatty, but when speaking about herself she tended to shy away.

He didn't like that she seemed uncomfortable around him, though he supposed that like with the children, it would take some time for Maria to get used to the changes in him. He wanted them to be friends. He wanted to be able to work with her, and he wanted her to be able to come to him if something was wrong, with either the children or herself. He was supposed to be caring for his employees, was he not? At least that's what he told himself. Though, he couldn't imagine wanting to chat with Franz. The man was as dull as a post.

Still, he began to conjure up ways in his mind that he could make Maria a little more comfortable. Obviously, he would have to prove that he had changed. It had only been a day, less than a day really. If he wanted his children, and Maria, to believe that this was a permanent change he wanted to make in his life, he would have to work at it.

He would need to join the children in their activities. Required reading today, perhaps whatever game they were playing tomorrow. He needed to just show up, unlike the past five years.

If Maria saw him being involved with his children, maybe she would believe the change too. Maybe she wouldn't fear him. It pained him that she would fear him. This woman was putting his family back together – whether she realized it or not – and he couldn't have her fearing him, not if they wanted to work together. He was done with being the intimidating employer.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there until a knock came at the door of his study.

"Come in," he called. He watched the door open to reveal Max. Georg checked his watch. It was only nine. "Max, I didn't expect you to be up this early."

"Yes, well, I had business to attend to," the man muttered as he closed the door behind him. Georg frowned. He knew what business Max might have, and it likely entailed an overdue interrogation.

Max raised an eyebrow in Georg's direction and stopped in the center of the room. "You've lost your suit."

Georg looked down at himself. He had nearly forgotten how casually he had dressed after brooding over his conversation with Maria.

"Yes, well, I decided to try something new today," Georg sighed. It felt strange looking down at his new choice of clothes. While they were comfortable enough, he felt somewhat naked without a suit jacket.

"Ah, I see. I don't mind the new look," Max commented lightly. Georg shot him a small smile, one that fell quickly from his lips as he watched Max's eyes darken.

"What can I do for you Max?" Georg asked. He kept his tone neutral, trying to keep any guilt from edging into his voice. While Georg knew he hadn't necessarily done anything drastically wrong, he also knew how the situation looked to Max. Max shifted his eyes towards Georg as he walked over to sit in the chair Maria had sat in only an hour ago.

"You can explain yourself for starters," Max replied, crossing one leg over the other as he placed his clasped hands on his knees. He looked at Georg expectantly, ready for an explanation to come his way. Georg ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Max, I don't know what you want me to say," he muttered his reply. He had known this was coming, but he wasn't sure he had the energy to carry on this argument.

"I want you to tell me how that young girl you were snogging against a building four months ago came under your employ. Then I would like you to tell me what in the hell you think you're doing, Georg. You're playing with fire here," Max practically growled at him. Georg winced at his words. While he had probably deserved them, it didn't make them any easier to swallow.

"Maria… It was a total fluke that she ended up as the children's governess. I didn't know until I saw her in the foyer on her first day. I couldn't simply fire her, I had no just cause," Georg explained quickly, through gritted teeth. He wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible. Max scoffed and narrowed his eyes.

"That's never stopped you before," Max stated. "I think it was about three governesses ago that you fired a woman for no reason other than the fact that she called once a day to give you a report on the children."

"Half the time she wouldn't even talk about the children, Max! It was completely inappropriate," Georg replied. He felt his patience wearing thin. He didn't like defending himself. He especially didn't like defending himself in regard to Maria. Not only because _nothing_ had happened between them, but also because he couldn't bring himself to talk about it without his lungs constricting in his chest.

"And this situation isn't inappropriate?" Max inquired, cocking his head to the side as he studied Georg carefully. Georg stayed silent under Max's scrutiny, tapping his fingers along the edge of his desk. Max did have a point; one Georg couldn't truthfully argue with. "Besides, you had every opportunity to fire her yesterday, but you didn't."

"She's good with the children, Max. I haven't seen them so lively and happy in a very long time. Somehow, she's gotten through to them in a way no one else has. What was I supposed to do? Fire her and have the children resent me for it?" Georg asked.

He knew there was more truth in what Max was saying than Georg gave him credit for. It was true that part of the reason he hadn't fired Maria was because he wanted her to help him with the children. He had completely forgotten how to be a father, and he felt he needed her guidance. But he wasn't about to admit that to Max.

"The children would have gotten over it," Max said simply. Georg huffed and shook his head. Max obviously didn't understand children.

"I don't think they would have. You haven't seen her with them. They trust her, and they care about her. They were practically staring daggers at me this morning when I asked to speak with her after breakfast, no doubt thinking I was going to fire her," Georg argued. He wasn't sure why he was arguing. The point seemed entirely moot, he reflected.

"You spoke to her this morning? About what, may I ask?" Max inquired with a pointed stare. Georg shook his head irritably. Was Max really about to go there?

"I don't like what you're insinuating," Georg growled.

"And what am I insinuating, Georg?" Max asked, feigning innocence. Georg felt the heat prickle his skin as his hands balled into fists.

"You know damn well what you're insinuating!" Georg spat. He could feel his blood begin to boil. Even though he wasn't wearing a tie, he felt as if there were a cord tied around his neck, tightening with each passing second.

"I'd like to hear it from you, so I know you're not truly as idiotic as you're acting right now," Max said, his voice keeping at a calm tone.

"Max! It was an innocent conversation about the children, nothing more," Georg exclaimed, feeling exasperated. How much longer would this torture continue?

"Yes, it may very well have been an innocent conversation about your children, but can you see where I have my doubts? You were all over that governess only months ago, and now you seem to be taking every opportunity to speak to her in private," Max stated. Georg groaned. Despite Max's jokes, the man was observant when he wanted to be.

"Her name is Maria," Georg gritted. He knew he wasn't doing himself any favours by stating her name, but he also didn't think he could take it if Max referred to her as 'that governess' one more time.

"Case and point. You've never been even remotely attentive enough to your other governesses to remember their names, let alone be on a first name basis with them."

"Max, this is ridiculous. What kind of man do you take me for?" Georg inquired as he ground his teeth against each other. He was fed up with Max's cloaked accusations.

"I'm not entirely sure right now, Georg. I know you're a good man, an honourable man even. But I've had Elsa complaining that you've barely gotten within five feet of her over the last four months. At first, I just thought it was some sort of guilt, or perhaps you were trying to slow things down in preparation to make things more serious between you two. But imagine my surprise when I see Maria with you in your hallway yesterday? Do you have any idea what crossed my mind in that moment?"

Georg hung his head at Max's words. He was right, Georg had made a mess of things. He was ashamed of how he had treated Elsa. He was even more ashamed that Max knew about it.

"It's not like that. Nothing has happened since that night. As for Elsa… I just haven't felt myself lately," Georg muttered.

"Tell her that then! I'm tired of being a bloody buffer between the two of you. I'd make a point of speaking to her rather quickly," Max stated. Georg's eyes snapped up to Max's. His last sentence had struck Georg with a brief moment of panic.

"She, uh, doesn't suspect anything, does she?" Georg asked as neutrally as he could. He tried his hardest not to sound as guilty as he felt.

"Not that she's mentioned to me. But Elsa isn't stupid, Georg. She knows you've never been half as involved with your children, or their governesses, as you are now." Georg breathed out in relief. At least Elsa wasn't suspicious, yet.

"I swear, Max, it's not like that. Maria made me realize how neglectful I've been to my children. We've decided to work as a team to make things right," he pleaded for Max to understand.

"And that's all it is?" Max asked, narrowing his eyes once again at Georg. Max seemed rather unconvinced.

"Yes. Last night, before you came in, we agreed to start over and forget the whole incident from four months ago. It's in the past. And trust me, I'm sure she doesn't harbour any lingering feelings from that night after the way I've treated her for the past two weeks," Georg winced at his last few words. He really had treated her awful, and now she seemed afraid around him. He pushed those thoughts from his mind, he could dwell on them later.

"Do you?" Max asked. Georg blinked twice as he gave Max a blank look.

"Do I what?" Georg inquired, fearing the answer.

"Harbour any lingering feelings?" Georg paused and carefully thought about his answer.

He didn't want to. He had tried for weeks to convince himself that he didn't harbour any feelings whatsoever for Maria. The immediate response that came to his mind was _of course not, what a ridiculous idea_. But as Georg thought on it more, he couldn't deny the haunting dreams, or the sense of pride that filled him when he made her blush, or the way her laugh filled him with hope.

There _was_ some sort of attraction there, as unwanted as it was. But could he really blame himself? She was a beautiful woman who had, in a way, made him see the light.

He shook his head. No, he was being silly. He was probably just confused. The change in him had come so rapidly that he wasn't sure what was up and what was down anymore.

"No. Maria's a lovely girl and I am forever in her debt for what she's done for my family. But it doesn't go past any friendly feelings," Georg replied with a shrug. What he had said had been the truth in his eyes, perhaps a little bent but the truth all the same. But then why did he feel he was lying?

Max studied his friend carefully for a moment before unclasping his hands and uncrossing his legs. He leaned further back in his seat and fixed Georg with one more calculated stare.

"I would tread carefully, Georg. I believe you, but this is a situation that could get messy," Max told him.

"I have it under control," Georg replied. And he did, didn't he? Nothing was happening with Maria, and nothing ever would happen with Maria, he had set that idea firmly in his mind. He would speak to Elsa and soothe her doubts. And he would work things out with his children. That had to mean everything was under control, right? He desperately hoped so.

"For your sake, I hope you do." Max said, a smile spreading across his face. "I'm glad we had this discussion. I really do hate playing the role of the stern, overbearing friend."

"Yes, I rather dislike it too. It doesn't suit you at all," Georg groaned, releasing a breath he had been holding in. Max didn't often have to be the stern friend, but when he was, it made Georg incredibly uneasy. Max played the stern friend unnervingly well for such a jovial, carefree man.

"No, it doesn't. Anyways, I'm going to go search your kitchen since I missed breakfast. Perhaps we can go into town later? Is that little bakery still there? The one that makes the most incredible strudel?" Max asked, his face lighting up as he began talking about food. Georg rolled his eyes and allowed himself to smile for the first time since Max had walked through the door.

"Yes, it's still there. I did promise I would sit in on the children's reading session this afternoon, though," Georg replied, resting his head on his clasped hands.

"Well, maybe we can go later this week?" Max asked, hope gleaming in his eyes.

"You and your strudel. Yes, we can go this week. Perhaps Elsa would like to join us," Georg answered.

"Undoubtedly. Though, it would turn into a whole day affair as soon as she sees a clothing store," Max groaned. Georg stifled a chuckle. Max was the only man he knew that hated shopping more than he did.

"It's the price you're going to have to pay for strudel, Max," Georg told him with a shrug.

"Fair point. Well, I'll see you at lunch, Georg," Max said, rising from the seat. He began to make his way to the door, and Georg could feel his body relax.

"Yes, I'll see you at lunch." With that, Max was gone, leaving Georg with his thoughts. His head fell into his hands as he let out a muffled groan. That conversation was utterly uncomfortable for Georg. He knew Max was only looking out for him, but he couldn't help but feel utterly embarrassed.

Yes, the situation did look bad with Maria in hindsight. If Max had known the full story, it would probably look worse. Between the dreams and his vulnerability with her in the storage room, the situation was perplexing. But Georg couldn't dwell on it. If he did, he would surely lose his mind. What mattered now was the children and winning back both their trust and affections.

Georg prayed to anyone listening that he could stay focused on his children. He prayed his dreams would dissipate. He prayed that he could settle things with Elsa. And he prayed that he would be able to be a better man in the future.

What he didn't count on was the fact that his world was already being turned upside down, he was just too blind to see it.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, we have some Max/Georg confrontation, which I've been dying to write for a while. I feel bad for Georg. He's just conflicted and confused. I'm hoping that I'm keeping him relatively in character. I feel like I'm a little all over the place with Georg, but I'm trying to reign it in. **

**Also, can we blame Maria for staring at Georg's arms? I relate.**

**Honestly, I've deprived you guys this chapter. In my original outline, I had a really cute scene at the end between Maria, Georg, and the children. Ultimately, I cut it because a) it would have made this chapter unbearably long (probably over 10k words) and b) it didn't really work with the flow of the chapter. Don't fret though, I've rearranged a couple things to put it in a chapter in the near future. **

**Some good news – my exams are almost over, which means I'll have a lot more time to write (and hopefully I'll be able to write with more quality). I'm really excited because we're going to see things get pretty intense pretty quick here. Okay, maybe not that quick. I'm a sucker for the slow burn. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading, and your reviews always bring a smile to my face and make me write that much faster. **


	9. Chapter Nine

Maria had to hand it to him, when Georg put his mind to something, he really committed.

The past few days had been almost a complete contradiction to the man Maria had known only days ago. He was patient, kind, and caring towards his children. He made an effort to spend time with them each day, aside from meal times.

He had listened to the children read one day while encouraging Kurt and Friedrich in their theatrical antics. The boys were nearly ecstatic when their father had joined in on the reading. Georg had proven to be nearly as theatrical as the two.

The next day, Georg had participated in one of the games the children had decided on. It was an intricate game, made up completely by the imagination of the children. Maria scarcely knew what was going on most of the time. There was a ball, an excessive amount of running, and some sort of relay involved. Maria had been delighted in Georg's good sportsmanship. He never once questioned any of the children's unorthodox rules.

The day after that, Georg had even shown up to observe their studies on the terrace. He went around to each of his children and asked them to tell him about what they were studying. He was attentive, and even provided assistance to them when needed. It had warmed Maria's heart when he sat between his two youngest and pretended to be stumped when they asked him a simple math question.

He was trying to be kinder to her as well. He spoke softly, he never got cross, and he took her suggestions to heart. It was unnerving to Maria. After tearing him down into such a vulnerable state in the storage room, she had felt beyond guilty. She knew the way he had broken down had only made room for the changes he was now making, but the look in his eyes, the look of a broken, torn apart man came back to haunt her.

She saw the same look in his eyes every night as she tried to fall asleep. She tried desperately to push the image from her mind, but it would always come back. Sometimes the sadness and pain would turn into something else, a more intense stare that she had caught in his eyes more and more when he was looking at her. It was a look that scared her, because she had no idea what he was thinking in those moments.

Not only had Georg's behaviour changed, but for some reason, so had his wardrobe. She hadn't seen a tie or suit jacket on him in nearly four days. It was almost unnerving. Instead of being made up in suits made of delicate and expensive fabrics, Georg was sporting a very relaxed look. He had begun to wear dark denim and polos in all colours, typically with the top few buttons undone.

Maria had been perplexed by such a change. She knew it was only a physical reflection of his inward change, but it was, in a word, distracting. For a man who had been dressed rather conservatively in the short time she had know him, it was strange to see so much skin. And for the life of her, Maria could scarcely avert her eyes. She had firmly convinced herself that it was because it was a change that she wasn't used to.

What bugged her the most was how she had begun to notice small details about him. It seemed positively ridiculous to notice the small scar under his bottom lip, or the jagged scar along the inside of his right bicep that disappeared under the sleeve of his shirt, or the way his fingers would twitch at his side when he seemed agitated or uncertain about something.

She couldn't fathom why she had taken notice of such small details with him, or why she was even looking at him at all. Her focus was meant to be on the children. She and Georg were supposed to maintain a strictly professional relationship, and that's the way she wanted it. When she had told him that she wanted to start over so that they could work together, she had meant it. She wanted them to be a team, a professional team.

And yet, it didn't stop her from noticing the way the sunlight brought out the chestnut highlights in his dark, slightly mussed hair that afternoon as he read to his children, who all watched him with wide, attentive eyes. The nine of them sat on an old picnic blanket near the lake, the warm sun beating down on them while they listened to Georg read.

The children had been ecstatic when their father had suggested he could read to them during their required reading. Brigitta later confessed to Maria that it was the first time she would be hearing her father read to her since she was a mere infant. The children were all sprawled out across the picnic blanket, facing their father, while Maria sat near the back of the group with Gretl beside her, leaning against her arm.

Georg was an exceptional reader. He did not hesitate, nor did he stutter as he went through the passages, as many people Maria knew may have. His voice was strong and clear as he read, the silky tone of it keeping the children, and Maria, completely attentive to every word.

He had a very soothing tone, she reflected. It was smooth and rich, and Maria was sure he could outdo her at reading a bed time story to the younger girls with the vast number of voices he had in his arsenal.

It was a beautiful afternoon, Maria thoughts as she roamed her eyes over the von Trapp yard. It wasn't a smothering temperature, in fact, a cool breeze would roll through the yard every so often. Not a cloud darkened the sky. Maria closed her eyes and just inhaled the fresh air. She didn't have any worries in the world in the moment. She felt safe surrounded by the children whom she had grown very fond of. She hadn't felt so at peace in a very long time.

"It seems I've put your governess to sleep," Maria heard Georg muttered. Her eyes snapped open and she found eight pairs of eyes staring at her, one pair sparkled with something akin to mischief.

"Oh no, I was just closing my eyes for a moment," Maria replied, her face prickling with heat. Georg chuckled.

"Sure you were," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. Maria cursed herself for finding her eyes falling to the rough patch of skin beneath his bottom lip. She briefly wondered where he might have gotten it from.

"Father," Brigitta said from Georg's side. He took his eyes from Maria's to look at his daughter, and Maria let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. His eyes had been having that affect on her for a while now. She had felt as if his looks were robbing the air from her lungs from the intensity in his eyes. Maria chastised herself. He was merely looking at her! It certainly wasn't anything to get in a fuss over.

"Yes, Brigitta?" he asked, tapping his daughter on the nose with his finger. Brigitta beamed up at her father.

"Could you join us for required reading more often? I like the voices you do," Brigitta said. Georg smiled down at his daughter. He shot a quick glance over to Maria. It had become a ritual for them. Anytime the children asked him for something or began to open up to him, he would shoot Maria a thankful glance, and Maria would acknowledge his achievement with a smile.

"I'm sure I could make some time to join you more often. That is, if all of you are okay with it," he said, surveying the rest of his children. Shouts of approval rang through the air, causing Georg to laugh. He gave another glance in Maria's direction and shrugged, seeming surprised that his children wanted him around. She gave him as small nod of encouragement back.

"Georg! There you are!" Max's voice cut across the yard. Nine heads turned to look up at the terrace where Max stood with Elsa, the two looking quite a contrast to each other as Max wore a baggy jumper and jeans, while Elsa stood tall wearing a pressed skirt and a silk blouse.

While Maria had been wary of Max when he had first come to the house, her fears of awkwardness and embarrassment had dissolved quite quickly. On the day after Max and Elsa's arrival, Max no longer fixed Georg with pointed stares in her company, and Max had been very pleasant to Maria. He had even made it his mission to seek her out and properly introduce himself, a gesture Maria greatly appreciated.

Max was warm and funny, and Maria enjoyed having him around. His presence was able to dispel any tension from a room. He also kept every room he entered quite lively. He was always cracking jokes, more often than not, at Georg's expense.

She knew from the lack of awkward glances between Max and Georg that the two men _must _have talked about that night, which made Maria feel a bit anxious. She was curious as to what they might have talked about, or what they might have said. How did Georg explain it? Did he explain everything? She had tried not to think of it much. She didn't want to think about what Max knew of that night. In fact, she didn't want to think about that night at all.

While Max had welcomed Maria with open arms, Elsa seemed a bit more wary around her. She was kind, of course, but she didn't speak much to Maria. Instead, she seemed to watch Maria a bit skeptically, especially when Maria and Georg were in the same room, which made Maria extremely uncomfortable. If Georg and Max had spoken about Maria, perhaps Elsa and Georg had as well. Perhaps Elsa knew what had happened, and that's why she watched Maria closely.

However, it seemed unlikely that Elsa knew in the way Georg conducted himself around her. It was as if there was something unspoken between the two that caused a strain. Whether Georg noticed it or not, he became quieter in Elsa's presence. He was more reserved, and he seemed to place that stony mask back on. Not that he was unkind to Elsa, on the contrary, he was polite and attentive, it just seemed different from how Georg spoke with Max, or his children. It was almost as if he was stiffer in her company.

"Welcome back. I trust your trip to town was successful?" Georg's voice pulled Maria from her reverie. She watched as Georg closed the book and set it in his lap, tapping the fingers of his left hand on his knee. There it was again, she wondered why he might be agitated.

"Max bought two dozen strudels," Elsa said, her tone in feigned exasperation as she shook her head. Max turned to her, his lips parted, and eyes narrowed.

"I thought we agreed we would keep that between us. How could you expose me like that?" Max asked. Maria heard the children attempt to stifle their snickers. Maria bit her own lip to keep a giggle from escaping her throat.

"Frankly, Max, I'm surprised you didn't get three dozen," Georg said, a cheeky smile spreading across his face. Maria noticed his dimples coming in full force, making him look years younger.

"Very funny, Georg," Max replied, glaring in Georg's direction. Georg only chuckled.

"Georg, would you come and join us for a bit before dinner?" Elsa spoke up. Maria watched as Georg's jaw twitched slightly. He looked back to his children, scanning their faces, before looking back at his friends. She knew he was struggling to make a decision, and her heart went out to him. With his guests staying in his home, he couldn't very well abandon them – even for his children.

"Yes, of course," he said softly. He shot the pair a smile, but it did not quite reach his eyes. Maria heard a few disappointed sighs come from the children. Obviously, they did not want their father to leave them.

Georg began to stand, picking up the book as he did so.

"Now, which one of you is going to take over for me?" Georg asked, holding the book out.

"I will, father," came Friedrich's reply. Georg smiled down at his son and handed him the book, ruffling his hair gently. Georg took a glance at his watch.

"Dinner will be ready soon," he told his children gently, lingering to look down at each of them. The last person's eyes he met were Maria's. He gave her a sad smile before turning to walk up the steps of the terrace. She watched him meet Elsa and Max at the top of the stairs and usher them inside.

She couldn't help but feel bad for Georg. He was in a bit of a sticky situation. Here he was trying to make amends with his children, but he had obligations somewhere else. She knew he was trying; she just wasn't sure the children would see it that way.

"It's not fair," Louisa muttered. Maria forced her eyes from the door to look at the girl.

"What's not fair?" she asked simply, shaking off her thoughts.

"Mrs. Schraeder has had father for the last two years. We just got him back, but she seems to be taking up as much of his attention as she can," Louisa replied, keeping her glare fixed on the door where the adults had just entered. Maria could hear a few murmurs of agreement. She sighed. She supposed that answered her question about how his children saw it.

"Now hold on, I know you want to spend time with your father, but he has guests. He can't just ignore them the entire time they are here," Maria told the girl.

"He did it to us," Kurt muttered. Maria winced. She supposed he had ignored his children for the better part of five years. She could see how they would be upset. They had just gotten him to spend time with them, and now they didn't want that time to end. They craved his attention constantly, after having been deprived of it for several years.

"At least Uncle Max tries to talk to us. Mrs. Schraeder has barely said more than four words to any of us," Brigitta piped up. Maria knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she didn't want the children resenting Elsa, or Georg for that matter.

"Maybe she doesn't know how to talk to you. Have you tried talking to her?" Maria asked them. The children glanced around at one another.

"No," Kurt mumbled after a minute.

"But what could we even talk to her about? All she seems to like is shopping, clothes, and father," Marta, usually the quietest of the bunch, said.

"We can't assume to know her from the little information we've learned about her," Maria replied. She was practically defending a woman she barely knew, and it was almost laughable. But Maria knew if the children expressed such displeasure to Georg, he would likely be less than happy about it. Whether they were an item or not, it didn't matter. Elsa was a guest and should be treated as such.

"But that's all she talks about," Friedrich groaned from where he lay on the blanket. Maria sighed. It didn't seem like she was getting anywhere.

"We should give her a chance," Liesl spoke softly as she braided Marta's hair. Maria looked up at the girl and shot her a thankful smile. Liesl had become what Maria considered to be an ally. After Liesl's initial wariness about Maria dissipated, she had become more forthcoming. If she was having an issue, albeit with boys or studies, she began to confide in Maria. She had even begun to back Maria up when the children argued. Maria scarcely considered Liesl a child she had to attend to, but rather a friend in the midst of the situation.

"I could show her my dolls," Gretl spoke up from where she sat, nestled into Maria's side. Maria chuckled.

"I'm sure she would love that," Maria said half heartedly as she smoothed Gretl's hair. In all honesty, she had no idea if Elsa had any desire to get to know the children at all. Maria only hoped for the best in that Elsa just wasn't used to children. She hoped that was the case, because Georg's children were truly wonderful, and if she were able to get to know them, Maria was certain Elsa would love them.

"Can you all promise me to at least try to talk to her? Even just a little at dinner?" Maria asked. Mumbles of agreement met her ears. She knew they were reluctant, but she also knew they would stay true to their word.

"It's time for dinner," a warm voice called from the terrace. Maria turned her head to find Georg leaning against the railing, a barely perceptible smirk spreading across his face. She wondered just how much of that conversation he had heard.

"Isn't it early, father?" Brigitta asked. She let out a little squeal as Kurt smacked her arm.

"Shut it," he growled. Maria raised an eyebrow at him, and he instantly looked regretful. "Sorry."

Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing. Anyone who got in the way of Kurt and his food was sure to be in for it.

"Er, yes, well, I wanted you to get all washed up for dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" Georg said with a broad smile on his face. Maria narrowed her eyes and glanced down to check the time on her phone. Brigitta had been right, it was rather early to go in, and Georg had barely been gone for more than fifteen minutes.

The children began to rise, Gretl and Marta running up to meet their father. He greeted them with kisses on the tops of their head and took their small hands in his. The rest of the children filed in through the doors, while Maria gathered up the picnic blanket. She hadn't realized Georg was still waiting at the top of the steps with the two girls until she turned around.

"You don't need to wait on my account," she told him, walking up the stairs. He raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk planted on his face.

"Well I just wanted to make sure you weren't late again," he said. Maria rolled her eyes. He could still be an ass sometimes, she reminded herself.

"It was one time," she groaned. Georg chuckled.

"On your first day too. First impressions stick, you know," he said. Maria turned to look him in the eye. He knew as well as she did that her first day at the house was not his first impression of her. She wondered if he was thinking of that night when he said it. I would have been the first impression she made on him. Surely, he couldn't be thinking of it. But then, why was there that mischievous glint in his eye? The one that made her feel like he was telling her an inside joke? She didn't have much time to dwell on it before he spoke again.

"Let's go in. I really am starving," Georg announced, breaking the eye contact and leading the two girls in through the door. Maria trailed behind them.

Georg handed the two girls over to Maria, and she took them upstairs to get washed up alongside their brothers and sisters. She was glad for a moment to recollect herself as she watched the youngest girls wash their hands.

She wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Her heart rate seemed to increase whenever he merely looked at her. It was ludicrous! He was her employer – a man she had honestly not spent more than a few days with. But then, why did her lungs constrict when he walked into a room?

She took a deep breath as she stepped up to the sink to wash her hands. She willed her body to calm down. She couldn't understand her reactions. But she wouldn't dwell on it – she couldn't. She would just go on as is, and perhaps avoid interacting with him as much as she possibly could. If she could just solely focus on the children, perhaps her confusion would drift away.

She stepped away from the sink and called out to the seven children. They all met her in the hallway, eager to go down to dinner.

When they walked into the dining room, Georg, Max, and Elsa were already seated. Max seemed to be in the middle of telling some extravagant story.

"And then the woman asked Elsa if she should give the bags to her father to carry. Her father! Not only am I a bag boy, but now I'm an old man. I mean we're the same age!" Max cried out. Elsa laughed.

"Not quite the same age, darling," Elsa replied.

"Okay, I'm a few years older, but certainly not old enough to be your father! By God, I would have had to have been seven when I -," Max was cut off.

"Good evening, children, Maria," Georg interjected, shooting a glare at Max. Max held up his hands.

"I wasn't going to go _there_, Georg. I was merely pointing out the fact that I couldn't possibly be old enough to be Elsa's father," Max defended. Georg kept a pointed stare in Max's direction.

"Yes, well as enchanting as that tale was, I would rather not have you explain it in front of my children," Georg muttered to Max, just out of the children's earshot. Maria had picked up on it, stifling a giggle as she passed the two men to make her way to her seat.

"Very well. And how are you lot this evening?" Max asked as the children all sat down. There was a collective murmur of 'good' that filled the room.

"How are you Mrs. Schraeder?" Liesl asked. Maria shot the girl a soft smile and a nod. Elsa looked between Liesl and Georg. Georg gave Elsa a small shrug before raising an eyebrow in Maria's direction, but Maria turned her gaze towards Elsa instead.

"Oh, I'm fine dear. Did you have a good afternoon?" Elsa asked. Her voice was cool and polite, but Maria couldn't help but detect some tension in the way she held herself as she spoke to Liesl.

"Yes. Maybe you and father should join us one afternoon for our reading," Liesl suggested as she began to dig in to her meal. This time, Elsa looked across the table to Max who held up his hands and shrugged.

"If you don't think I'll be intruding," she said tentatively. Maria glanced over to Georg, who was studying Maria carefully. He raised his eyebrows at her and cocked his head to the side slightly as if asking a question. Maria quickly looked away. She knew he had caught the end part of their conversation in the yard, and he probably suspected that Maria had put them up to this.

"We would love to have you, all of us," Maria was surprised when she had heard Friedrich's voice speak up. He had not seemed very keen on getting to know Elsa earlier. It brought a smile to her face. She had been noticing him take initiative more and more in recent days, and she was glad for it.

"You're welcome too, Uncle Max," Kurt piped up. Max smiled at the young boy.

"I would love to attend one of your readings. Georg, do you read to them?" Max asked, turning his attention to Max.

"I have, yes," Georg muttered, finally taking his eyes off Maria to look at Max. Maria let out a shaky breath. His scrutiny had been suffocating. She tried to distract herself from her heated cheeks by eating a few forkfuls of vegetables.

"Of course, you do. Did you know that your father was a drama nerd in high school?" Max asked the children. All seven of the children looked at their father with their mouths hung open. Even Maria gaped at Georg. He certainly didn't seem the type. If anything, she had made the assumption that he would have been more into sports in high school.

"Max, for God's sake, I wasn't a drama nerd," Georg muttered. Maria could see the tops of his ears turn red as his tried to bury his attention in his food.

"Ah, but you starred in every production," Max quipped.

"You never told me that," Elsa said with a light chuckle, placing a hand on Georg's arm. Maria could see him flinch a little at the contact, and she once again found herself wondering what left things so strained between them.

"He never told me that either. I confiscated one of his yearbooks last night, and there he was, on the stage," Max said. The children shared gasps of awe. Now it was Maria's turn to keep her gaze firmly planted on Georg.

"How did you get my yearbook? I keep the study locked," Georg growled, snapping his head up to glare at Max. Max only laughed, obviously not threatened in the slightest by Georg's tone.

"Yes, but you don't hide the spare key very well," Max said. Georg groaned at his plate, keeping his head down.

"What plays did you do, father?" Friedrich asked. Georg sighed. Maria wanted to laugh at the usually well put together man becoming bashful and embarrassed in front of her eyes. It was rather endearing.

"We mostly put on Shakespeare plays," he said to his son, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table.

"Which was your favourite?" Maria was surprised to hear her own voice rise up. She hadn't thought before opening her mouth. She stilled; her body frozen in place. Why had she gone and asked that? He obviously didn't want to talk about it. But still, she couldn't help but feel a little curious.

Georg's head snapped up at the sound of her voice. He narrowed his eyes at her, but it wasn't the cold, hard stares she was used to before his change. It was more so one of annoyance rather than anger.

"I played Hamlet in my last year, I would have to say that was my favourite," he spoke quietly before returning his attention back to his food. Maria briefly let her thoughts travel to a young Georg playing Hamlet on a stage. It certainly explained his theatrical readings. The more she thought about it, the more she could see Georg being a man of the stage in his younger years.

"How charming. What other plays did you star in?" Max asked, a playful smirk plastered on his face. Georg groaned again. Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing. Max certainly knew how to push Georg's buttons.

"Children," he said, obviously trying to stray away from the current line of conversation, "How about we do a movie night tonight?"

The children looked from Maria to their father.

"Really?" Marta asked.

"Yes. I know you've been watching movies with Maria after dinner, but why don't I join you tonight?" he asked. Maria was surprised to hear this suggestion. He hadn't expressed interest in joining their movie nights before, but then again, she had never asked.

"Yes, please father," Gretl squealed. Georg smiled.

"Max, Elsa, I'm sure the children wouldn't mind if you joined," Georg said, looking between his friends.

"Are you going to be starring in it?" Max asked, earning giggles from the children and an exasperated sigh from Georg.

"No, Max," Georg muttered through gritted teeth.

"Pity. Anyways, I have a video conference with a potential business prospect in an hour, so I'm afraid you'll have to count me out," Max replied. Georg nodded, a glint of relief sparkling in his eyes. Maria doubted he wanted to be mercilessly teased for the remainder of the night after he had just been exposed in such a way.

"Elsa?"

"I'd love to, but I was actually hoping you could have Franz drive me into town. I ran into an old friend and I was hoping to meet up for drinks with her tonight," Elsa replied, looking around the table to give the children apologetic looks. Maria swore she saw Georg's shoulders release some tension.

"Of course, I will tell Franz after dinner," Georg said, giving Elsa a small smile. He looked around the table, his eyes falling on Maria. "I guess it's just us then."

Maria tried to look away, but her eyes seemed to be stuck on his. The ocean blue washed over her like a wave, and it was as if that was all she could see – there was nothing else. It wasn't until he looked away, a small smile on his lips, that she realized the fluttering in her chest. She inwardly groaned. Hadn't she just told herself upstairs that she would avoid interaction with him if she could? She had just practically stared the man down. She willed herself to calm down and think rationally.

The movie could pose as a problem, but the children would be there. Besides, movie nights were usually quiet. Everyone followed the plot on the screen in front of them and kept to themselves – well, except Kurt, who liked to have a running commentary. There's no way they would even be able to remotely interact during a movie, right?

Dinner finished rather quickly after that, the children not wanting to waste a second before having a movie night with their father.

"We should wear our pajamas!" Gretl announced as the children were rising from the table. "Like a pajama party."

"If you want to have a pajama party, then we will have a pajama party," Georg said, smiling at his youngest daughter. The children cheered and ran off to get ready for a movie night with their father. Maria finished off her last bite of vegetables as she watched the children rush off.

"Elsa, I texted Franz. He'll have the car ready in ten minutes, if that suits you," Georg said, a polite smile poised on his lips.

"That works beautifully, Georg. Thank you," she replied, stepping towards him to give him a kiss on the cheek. Maria averted her eyes, feeling somewhat out of place watching the scene in front of her. "I'll be back later."

With that, Elsa and Max walked out of the room together, leaving Georg and Maria alone. Maria stood from her seat, shifting from foot to foot as she stood a whole table length away from Georg. His eyes, however, burned her as if he were right beside her, stinking a hot iron to her skin.

"You know, if you want to have a night with just the children, I'm happy to turn in early," Maria said, a last-ditch effort to get out of the awkward circumstances. She did love movie night with the children, it was always nice to just sit and have a couple hours of calm with them. But would she really be needed if Georg was there? Perhaps he wanted to spend time alone with his children. Or at least that's what she told herself when she suggested she leave them alone for the night. Georg cocked his head to the side as he studied her.

"No. I think it would be better that you join us. You were the one who started this collective movie night, and the children adore your presence. I think you should stay," he told her. She was rooted in place at what he had said. It sounded as if he really wanted her there, or at least believed the children really wanted her there. "Of course, unless you are exhausted, then by all means, you don't have to stay. I know my children can be tiresome."

"No, no. I love spending time with them," she replied with a small smile. And it was true, she did love spending time with them. She just wasn't sure how much time she could spend with him before her brain exploded. She really needed to figure out what was wrong with her. Maybe she was getting sick? For the first time in her life, she prayed that she was.

"Well I suppose we have to get ready for this pajama party," he said. Maria let out a strained chuckle.

"I guess so," she replied. She walked to the end of the table where he waited for her, and together they made their way out into the foyer.

"What's the movie for tonight?" he asked. Maria shrugged, refusing to look up at him.

"It's Brigitta's turn to pick. I'm not sure what she has in mind," Maria admitted. Internally, she figured it would be some sort of romance movie. The girl seemed to be in love with the idea of love, but then again, many young girls are.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough," Georg replied.

"Yes, I suppose we will," Maria said as they came to the top of the stairs. Her bedroom was within view. If she could just make it there without inhaling anymore of his earthy cologne, maybe she would make it through the night unscathed. She just needed a minute.

"I'll see you downstairs," Georg said as they stopped in front of her door.

"Yes," Maria replied in a low murmur. She slowly opened the door to enter her room, shooting a small smile at Georg over her shoulder as she entered. Georg flashed her a smile in return before continuing on down the corridor.

Maria huffed out a breath as she walked into her room. She was angry. Surprisingly though, she wasn't mad at him, as she had gotten used to being made at him for the past wild. She was mad at herself, for letting her mind get so clouded and muddled. She was utterly confused about the thought racing through her mind. She needed to get a hold of herself. The fluttering in her chest and the racing of her heart needed to stop. It was ridiculous. There was no logical reason that she could explain why she was having such a reaction. At least, she wouldn't let her mind travel that far.

She took a deep breath as she opened her wardrobe, deciding to slip on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. She wasn't sure she wanted a repeat of the night that Georg had found her prancing around the bedroom in a tank top and shorts, that was the last thing she needed in the moment.

She changed quickly, not wanting to keep the children waiting. The whole way down the stairs, she mentally put herself in check, swearing not to let herself react in the way she had all night.

She came to the door of the sitting room, watching as the children all situated themselves with pillows and blankets.

"Why do you want to watch _that_ movie?" Kurt groaned as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his pajama top.

"It's my turn to choose! You don't get a say," Brigitta retorted, resting a pillow against the armrest of the couch. Kurt huffed.

"But it's so girly," he whined. Maria stifled a laugh as she stood in the doorway. Kurt often complained that the movies the girls picked were 'too girly'.

"Leave her alone, Kurt," Liesl said from her spot in one of the arm chairs. She hadn't looked up from her phone. "You made us watch that god awful action movie the other day. It's Brigitta's turn to choose, so we will watch what she wants to watch."

"Friedrich, do you want to watch it?" Kurt asked, looking back at his brother who was slumped on the floor, setting up a little camp of pillows and blankets for Marta.

"It doesn't matter, Kurt. We all get a night to pick. Tonight, it's Brigitta's night," Friedrich replied diplomatically. Maria smiled at the boy's response; he really was becoming a fine young man. "There you go, Marta."

Marta plopped down on the pillows and blankets with a squeal, and Louisa moved to sit beside her.

"Ugh, fine," Kurt groaned, slumping down in the armchair beside Liesl with a huff. He cocooned himself in a fluffy blanket, his face stricken with defiance.

"And what is the movie we've chosen tonight?" Maria spoke up, making her presence known. Seven heads turned. Brigitta smiled up at Maria with wide eyes.

"The Princess Bride," she replied. Maria raised an eyebrow and looked over to Kurt.

"Really? Kurt, you do know there's action in this movie, right?" Maria asked. Kurt perked his head out of the blanket a little.

"There is?" he asked. Maria smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Lots of sword fighting," she told him, moving into the room to sit with Gretl on the couch that was otherwise unoccupied. The girl immediately slunk against her.

"Oh," was all Kurt said as he sat back in his chair. Maria chuckled. She was quite excited for the movie choice; she hadn't seen the movie since she had been quite young.

"Brigitta, why don't you set the movie up while we wait for your father?" she asked. The girl got off the sofa she was sitting on and inserted the disc into the DVD player, grabbing the remote off the mantle and setting off to work.

"Where is father?" Gretl asked.

"Maybe he's still changing," Maria suggested with a shrug. She doubted it would take Georg that long to change, but what else would he be up to? Her question was answered.

"I'm right here," Georg muttered. His entrance was nearly comical. He was clad in a pair of striped, navy blue pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. His hair was mussed, coming down in wavy locks across his forehead, and he was attempting to balance a tray holding four large bowls filled with popcorn. His brow was creased in concentration as he set the overfilled tray down on one of the tables near the door.

"I thought snacks were in order," Georg said with a sheepish smile. Maria couldn't help her own smile that spread across her face. It was a small act, but she knew it showed how much he was really trying.

"Father! Come sit with me!" Gretl called over to her father. Georg looked between the young girl and Maria. Maria closed her eyes briefly and prayed he would sit somewhere else. Though she knew she would be safe – safe from what, she wasn't entirely sure – with Gretl between them, but she still wasn't keen on the proximity. She knew she would still be able to smell his cologne, which was able to fill her mind with fog. But there was no reason he would deny such a request from his baby girl.

"Okay, but you'll have to share this popcorn with me," Georg told her with a smile. Gretl nodded against Maria's arm and Maria inwardly cursed. "The rest of you will have to share too, so buddy up."

The children rose from their seats to grab a bowl of popcorn. Marta and Louisa had one between them on the floor, Kurt placed the bowl on the table between his and Liesl's chairs, and Friedrich and Brigitta had their bowl between them on the sofa across from Maria, Gretl, and Georg.

"Gretl, can you hold on to this?" Georg asked as he took his seat on the other side of the girl. Maria's fears were proven right; she could instantly feel the scent of his cologne waft up to her nose. Gretl sat up and took the large bowl in her small hands, resting it on her knees. Georg looked over her head to Maria. "I'll try to share."

Maria shot him a weak smile before looking up at the screen. Brigitta was still fumbling with the remote.

"It's input two," Friedrich muttered, before stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. Brigitta did as instructed, and the menu popped up.

"The Princess Bride? I haven't seen this in a very long time," Georg said, a lazy smile spreading across his face.

"Do you like it, father?" Kurt asked in between mouthfuls of popcorn. Georg looked to his son.

"Kurt, don't talk with your mouth full," Georg told him. "And yes, it's a good movie. Not _that_ gooey, if that's what you're worried about."

Kurt nodded, turning his attention to the screen as the movie began. Maria began to feel herself become immersed in the beginning of the movie, which she was grateful for as it tamped down her racing thoughts.

She was beginning to feel herself calm down, having been so on edge about dissipating any of her body's unnecessary reactions. She started to feel like she had a shot of making it through the night without anymore stress weighing on her mind.

She reached into the popcorn bowl aimlessly, when she came into contact with something soft and warm. She looked at the bowl to find her fingers against Georg's in the bowl. She felt the breath leave her lungs as she looked up over Gretl's head to find a pair of ocean blue eyes staring back at her. His eyes were unreadable as a slow smile spread across his face. He removed his hand from the bowl, slowly, and not without letting his fingers brush against hers. Maria averted her eyes and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn, struggling to regain breath.

Why did he have that affect on her? And for the love of God, why did that have to happen? She felt her heart beating erratically in her chest and she willed it to slow down. Nothing had even happened! It was silly, something out of a cheesy movie. She had accidentally touched his hand; it was no big deal. Then why did her hand feel like it had just been burned?

Maria turned back to the movie but found that she couldn't follow the storyline from where they were. She could vaguely hear Inigo Montoya utter his famous line, but it was hard to hear over the thundering of her heart.

"Is he going to kill this guy?" Kurt asked. Both Maria and Georg turned their heads towards the boy, who had unsurprisingly monopolized the popcorn bowl.

"Kurt, just watch the movie," Georg told him. Kurt huffed in his seat, stuffing another handful of popcorn into his mouth. Maria let out a breathy chuckle as she watched the boy. Georg turned his head to look at her.

"What?" he muttered in a low voice.

"He kind of reminds me of Max," Maria admitted. And it was true. While not physically, the resemblances were uncanny – their love of food, their dramatic huffs, their slight impatience for things to happen. Georg let out a barking laugh, and Maria was glad he hadn't had a mouthful of popcorn in that moment. Surely, he would have choked.

"Shh," Gretl uttered from between them. Georg gave Maria a comical shrug and turned back to the movie, but Maria's eyes seemed stuck on him. It's as if she couldn't look away, even though her mind begged her to.

He looked at peace, more at peace than Maria had ever seen him. There was a permanent smile playing on his lips while his eyes seemed to sparkle. His mussed hair gave him a very youthful look as the wavy locks landed wherever they pleased, instead of being neatly combed back with, what Maria suspected, a lot of product. His shoulders no longer held the tension of the world on them as he was slumped against the couch. His body had seemed to release all of the stress and tension. Maria found herself smiling, she was truly glad he was able to relax in the presence of his children.

Realizing she was blatantly staring at Georg, she turned her head back to the movie. She chastised herself from even staring at him in the first place. She wasn't even supposed to look at him, she reminded herself; not until she figured out what in the world was wrong with her.

For most of the movie, Maria succeeded in not looking back at Georg. She kept her head turned towards the screen, refusing to take her eyes from the action folding out in front of her, even if she wasn't necessarily taking any of it in.

It wasn't until she felt Grelt slump against her shoulder that she turned her head. Gretl looked to be out like a light. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was shallow and even. Maria made a move to take the popcorn bowl from the girl's lap and gently set it on the floor, being sure not to move too quickly for fear of waking the girl up.

Once the bowl was on the ground, she reached her hand out to smooth over Gretl's hair – something she had come accustomed to doing when the young girl fell asleep on her – not aware that Georg had the same idea. Once again, their fingers met, and Maria's traitorous eyes flicked up to Georg's. He was already looking at her, with the same intensity as before, causing her cheeks to flush with a fury. This time, Maria removed her hand without a second thought, pulling it back as if she had been burned, and turning back towards the screen as quickly as she could.

She could barely keep up with the storyline above her mutinous thoughts and the memory of the look in Georg's eyes. It was positively ridiculous. She couldn't fathom what was happening. She knew in the back of her mind that the night from many months ago was probably coming back to haunt her. She hadn't confronted the thoughts of that night, and she didn't plan on it. She prayed that if she just ignored it, it would go away.

For the rest of the movie, Maria stared blankly at the screen. She couldn't keep her mind on the movie, but she didn't let her thoughts wander either. She just sat there, with Gretl slumped against her, keeping her mind blank. If she didn't dwell on it, maybe she wouldn't have to confront it.

The movie came to an end more quickly that Maria had anticipated. Brigitta shut off the TV, letting a silence fall over the room. Maria looked around the room at the sleepy faces of the children. It was barely past the younger children's bedtimes, and yet, all of the children looked exhausted.

"That wasn't so bad," Kurt muttered after a moment.

"I told you dummy," Brigitta exclaimed. Georg held a finger up to his lips.

"Shh, your sister is asleep," Georg whispered. Liesl began collecting all the bowls around the room.

"I'll take these to the kitchen," Liesl said in a soft voice.

"Thank you," Georg whispered gently, "The rest of you should head up to bed. You look exhausted."

The children began gathering up the numerous blankets and pillows strewn across the room and filed out into the foyer in a zombie-like manner. Maria went to rise, but Gretl's weight kept her down. She heard Georg chuckled.

"Would you like me to bring her upstairs?" Georg asked.

"If it's not too much trouble," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"As you wish," Georg replied. Maria's eyes snapped up to his as he uttered the same line that had been used in the movie. He shot her a sheepish smile before gathering his youngest in his arms. Gretl made no noise, nor did she resist. Georg stood with his little girl in his arms, and Maria followed suit.

"Perhaps you could put them to bed tonight?" Maria suggested.

"I would love to," Georg replied with a soft smile, "Are you going to come say good night?"

"I'm quite exhausted myself. I think I'm going to go to bed as well. If you don't mind." Maria told him.

"Of course, I don't mind. My children run you around all day, the least I can do is put them to bed. We'll walk you up," Georg said. Maria inwardly groaned. She had forgotten that the children's rooms were on the way to her room. She thought she might have been able to make a quick escape and avoid any further interaction with Georg. They started to walk towards the door.

"This was fun, thank you," Georg said as he stepped aside to allow Maria to walk through the doorway.

"I can hardly take any credit," Maria replied, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her. Georg moved to walk beside her.

"You're not good at taking praise, are you?" Georg asked, chuckling to himself.

"I've never been much good at it, no," Maria replied as they began to ascend the stairs. _Just another minute, then you'll be safe_, she told herself.

"Well, thank you. For starting movie nights, for taking care of my children, and for that little conversation you had with them today." Maria looked up at Georg.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Maria lied.

"I heard the children express some displeasure about Elsa. I appreciate that you're trying to get them to give her a chance," he said as they stopped at the top of the stairs.

"I just think they need to get to know her. She seems lovely," Maria replied, looking past him. Her bedroom was only a few paces down the hallway. How she wished she could be there instead of having such an uncomfortable conversation. It wasn't _really_ uncomfortable, she reflected. She supposed it was just the confusion racing through her mind that made her feel uncomfortable talking to him.

"You don't even know her," he whispered. It wasn't an accusatory tone he took, but rather one filled with curiosity. He studied her, and Maria wished she could remove herself from his scrutiny.

"Everyone deserves to be treated fairly," Maria said with a shrug. A slow smile crept on Georg's face.

"You just see the best in everyone, don't you?" he asked, shifting Gretl in his arms.

"I believe everyone is inherently good. People just do bad things sometimes," she said earnestly. Georg watched her carefully for a minute. Maria could feel her face flush; she was sure she was bright red at this point. Why did he have to look at her like that?

"I should probably put this one down," he finally said. Maria nodded, feeling relief pulse through her.

"Yes, good night, Captain," she said as she began to move past him, towards her bedroom.

"Good night, Maria," she heard his soft voice call after her.

She entered her bedroom and leaned back against the door as she closed it. Her head was spinning. Why was he affecting her like this? She struggled to regain her composure as she closed her eyes. The image of Georg's intense stare flooded behind her eyelids. She felt her pulse quicken.

The whole evening, she had been a mess; her mind had been clouded and confused, her heart had been hammering in her chest, and she knew she had been different shades of pink all night. It didn't make any sense. She had never felt such a way before, and frankly, she didn't like it. She didn't like feeling nervous and unsure around him. She didn't like the way she lost her breath when he merely looked at her. She felt utterly uncomfortable.

She knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't done anything wrong, truly. He was just being kind, she reminded herself. He was making up for being so cruel and cold in the beginning of her employment. But she almost wished she was dealing with that Georg instead of this one. She didn't know how to handle kind and gentle Georg.

She shook her head. No, she would not dwell on it – she would not dwell on _him_. That would only mean trouble. She and Georg had a strictly professional relationship, and she would work like hell to keep it that way.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Yes, this chapter was fluffy and cheesy and slightly confusing on Maria's part. Honestly, I'm not happy with this chapter. I wrote it tired out of my mind, in between studying and it's certainly not my best work. I debated on cutting it entirely for a while, but there are some things in here that are necessary for context in the next chapter. Maria's confusion has me confused. Like with Georg, I feel bad for her because she's just as conflicted as he is.**

**This really felt like a filler to me, even though I do like writing Georg interacting more with his children. Overall, I feel like this is a ridiculously long, weird chapter, but I needed it for future chapters. I also really just needed to get it out of the way, so I can move on to the next part of this confusing, wild ride (which will get better – I have a plan, I promise).**

**Speaking of which, you can expect loads of tension in the next chapter. I've had this next chapter planned out for a while now. It's going to be tense, it's going to be a little awkward, and it's not going to be out for a week. I'm writing several exams this week, so I won't have much time to actually write the chapter until the end of the week, I'm so sorry. I'm hoping it will be worth the wait.**

**As always, thank you for reading what I have affectionately dubbed "My Trash Baby". I' so grateful that you have kept reading, and I appreciate every single review. Seriously, I might get a few framed. **


	10. Chapter Ten

Georg sat at his desk, fingers tapping away at the keys, as he wrote an email to his marketing department. They had asked him if he could come in to look over some ideas for the newest online marketing strategy, but strangely enough, Georg did not jump at the chance to escape. He didn't feel the need to escape – not this time.

Things had been going well at the house with his children. That was an understatement, Georg thought. Things had been going phenomenally, better than he could have expected.

While his children had been a little slow in truly opening up to him, he valued their time together all the same. It was almost fun making up for lost time with them. He hadn't felt so free in years, being able to join in on their games and be included in their dramatic reading sessions. It was remarkable, he reflected, how the little things seemed to matter the most to his children.

Maria had deterred him from any grand gestures. He had been ready to go out and buy horses for all seven of his children, but Maria told him to start slow. She had reminded him that he wasn't buying their love, he was earning it. So, he had taken that advice to heart. He paid more attention, he joined in on their games, readings, and even supervised their studies. Just by showing up, Georg could see a dramatic change in the way his children interacted with him.

They didn't seem fearful anymore, but rather happy that he was taking the time to talk to them and join in on the activities that they liked to do. It was a giant weight off his shoulders. For a while, he hadn't felt like he was going to be enough, after all his mistakes. But he had been proven very wrong by the way they had taken to him. He began to feel like less of a stranger in his home and more like the father and man of the house he was supposed to be.

Of course, he owed a great deal of his progress to Maria. She had been the one to suggest he join in on their games and readings. She had been the one to make him see that he couldn't go on being the neglectful father he was. She was the one who made him realize that pushing his children away in the darkness of their mother's death was slowly killing him.

He wanted to thank Maria for making him see the light, but words never seemed to be enough. Even when he did thank her, she brushed it off nonchalantly, as if she were a mere spectator in the great journey of Georg returning to his children. He wanted to make her see that she wasn't just a spectator, but that she had been the catalyst of his change.

She certainly wasn't making the task easy. It seemed that the timid young woman who had begun to make an appearance after his embarrassing breakdown in the storage room was sticking around. She avoided being alone with him, especially after the movie night they had all shared only days ago. When he did catch her for a moment, she stuck strictly to conversation about the children and always left in a hurry.

While Maria continued to claim she needed to check on the children or that she was extremely exhausted, Georg could see right past the façade. For some reason that Georg couldn't fathom, Maria didn't want to be alone with him. It was frustrating. Not that he really _needed_ to be alone with his children's governess, but it frustrated him nonetheless that she couldn't seem to stand to be in the same room with him if no one else was present.

When they were with the children, things were fine. They spoke and played games with the children and joked around. It was easy and effortless, and Georg liked that. He liked the ease between them, and her humour was a breath of fresh air. But once the children were out of sight, she would shut down. She would go from this joyful, intoxicating spirit to a monosyllabic, reserved girl in a matter of minutes.

Georg had been wracking his brain for days. Had he done something wrong? Had he said something to offend her? He searched for an answer but had come up with very few possibilities. He had thought that he had been a gentleman. He was kind and polite, and he tried his best to talk to her and get her opinions on things when it came to his children. After all, hadn't they agreed to work as a team?

He was at a loss. She seemed to be even more reserved after the movie night. He could pinpoint possible behaviours there that might have been less than appropriate, but it was all innocent, wasn't it? He had accidentally touched her hand in the popcorn bowl, but that wasn't his fault. He didn't know she was going to go for the popcorn at the same time as him. Okay, and he had accidentally touched her hand while reaching out to smooth Gretl's hair, but that wasn't his fault either! How was he supposed to know her hand would be there at the same time he was reaching out for his little girl?

And yes, there were the looks. He couldn't seem to look away when she came into his eyeline. He was just so fascinated by her strength and her compassion. It was like staring at a puzzle to figure out how to put it together. It was completely innocent, he told himself. Not that he often realized he was looking at her anyways. Sometimes she was just in his line of sight. Could he really help looking at her when she sat across from him at the dinner table?

But he still felt utterly guilty. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable around him, in fact, that was the last thing he wanted. If he had somehow crossed a line, he knew he had to make it up to her, for the sake of his children. It certainly wouldn't do for her to leave, just because she was uncomfortable around him. The children would be devastated; they had clearly become very fond of Maria. No, he had to try and make things right, he just wasn't quite sure how.

A knock at the door of his study pulled Georg from his reverie. He realized he was slumped in his chair, blankly staring at a half-composed email. He shook his head and straightened up.

"Come in," he called. He had half expected Max to walk in, as the man often took pleasure in interrupting Georg's work. He was quite surprised to find Elsa walking into the room instead. He felt his heart sink in his chest. He still hadn't had a conversation with Elsa, and he knew her patience was running rather thin with him.

Elsa sauntered into his study, looking elegant as ever in a pale blue blouse and a dark skirt that cut off just above her knee. She always looked like the height of sophistication with her perfectly sculpted hair and flawless make-up. It was one of the things that had first attracted him to her, he reflected. So, why did it do nothing for him now?

"Elsa, what can I do for you?" he asked, poising a polite smile on his face. She stood by the armchair across from his desk but made no move to sit. Instead, her eyes flitted about the room.

"This really is a beautiful room, Georg. I can see why you spend so much time in here," she commented as her eyes finally came to rest on his. He felt uneasy at the way she was looking at him. On the surface, her eyes studied his face with a contained politeness, but he could see a fire behind them that was ready to burn him.

"Yes, it is quite relaxing in here," he replied half heartedly. He knew what was coming. He knew it was going to be an interrogation, but unlike the conversation with Max, he wasn't sure he was going to make it through this one.

"Georg, I've been very patient, and I've tried to be understanding. But honestly, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be trying to understand!" Elsa exclaimed. Georg swallowed hard. There it was. She was initiating the conversation that he had been too much of a coward to initiate himself.

"Elsa, I-," he was cut short by Elsa's menacing stare, reaching into his soul.

"I'm not finished," she told him firmly. Georg nodded for her to continue, feeling quite like a young boy being reprimanded by a teacher. "For months, you've been different. I don't know what happened, or if it's something I've done, but you haven't been the same. You've been distant and miles away, and frankly, you've been acting like a child. If there's something wrong or I've done something to upset you, all you need to do is talk to me. This closed off act isn't going to cut it anymore."

Georg took a deep breath. He wasn't angry, he had no right to be. Everything Elsa had said was true. He was more so ashamed. He had been acting like a child. He chose to hide from the problem rather than to just man up and confront Elsa. But what would he tell her? That he had been having explicit dreams about his children's governess, long before she was even their governess? That he was so terrified of calling out the wrong name that he couldn't even fathom sharing a bed with her? No, he couldn't tell her that. That would mean explaining more than he had the mental capacity to endure in the moment.

"I am sorry, Elsa. I have been neglectful and uneasy lately. You've done nothing wrong, truly. In all honestly, I haven't been feeling myself lately. I've been working on myself, and my relationship with my children, but I didn't consider how it must be affecting you. But you are right, I should have talked to you about it," Georg said. He was proud of himself. While he wasn't exactly telling her the whole truth, he wasn't lying either.

"This started long before you even thought about reconnecting with your children, and you know that," Elsa replied, her eyes holding nothing back as she fixed him with a burning stare. Georg shifted in his seat, his fingers twitching restlessly against the armrest.

"Yes, well, I've needed space to figure things out. The last few months have been a turning point," he said, clearing his throat.

"You could have told me you needed space, Georg. I would have given it to you gladly," she replied. Georg winced. For some reason, he doubted her words. Elsa wasn't necessarily needy; she was an independent woman and he liked that about her. But she wasn't the type of woman to just let things be either.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have come to you in the beginning. I was just so caught up in my own head. It was unfair to you," Georg replied, his features turning solemn. He really did feel bad about how he had treated Elsa, after all she had been there for him through so much.

Elsa nodded in acknowledgement, but the fire didn't extinguish from her eyes.

"And what about Maria?" she asked coolly. Georg's blood ran cold. Why was she bringing Maria into this?

"What about Maria?" he replied evenly. What was she asking? Did she know something? Had Max slipped up? If Max had said anything, Georg swore he would make him regret it.

"I've just noticed that you two are quite friendly," she shrugged nonchalantly. Georg narrowed his eyes. Friendly? He wouldn't exactly call them friendly considering she did her best to actively avoid him.

"She's my children's governess, Elsa, nothing more," he said. He knew that wasn't entirely true – Maria would always be so much more than just a governess after everything she had done for him and his children. But Georg knew that telling Elsa that would only be pouring gasoline on Elsa's suspicions, though he wasn't quite sure what those suspicions were. What exactly was she trying to insinuate?

"You've never even looked twice at any of the previous governesses, and now it seems like she's the most interesting thing in most rooms," Elsa stated. Georg inwardly groaned. Had he really been looking at her that much?

"It's not like that. I'm thankful for Maria's help in reconnecting me with my children. She's provided great assistance, but it's a strictly professional relationship. And I don't take kindly to anything else being insinuated," Georg told her through gritted teeth. First Max had all but accused him of some unsavoury relationship with Maria and now Elsa was too? Was he really acting so inappropriately?

Elsa stayed quiet for a moment, watching Georg carefully. She seemed to scan his features for any sign that he was lying. After a moment, she shrugged, and her normal graceful features smoothed over her face.

"I don't want to pick a fight, I was merely stating an observation," Elsa replied neutrally, "If you say it's professional, I have no reason to doubt you."

"Thank you, Elsa," he muttered. He didn't want to argue with her. He didn't have the energy to have some sort of couple's spat with her when they really weren't even a couple. He briefly wondered if somewhere along the way she had convinced herself that they were more that what he thought they were.

"And if you need space, I'll give it to you. Next time, please just talk to me," she told him. Georg forced a smile on his face. He just wanted there to be an end to this conversation. He didn't like the way his head throbbed when she insinuated something between him and Maria.

"I will. I'm sorry, again, for leaving you without answers for so long," he said, feigning all the politeness he could muster. Elsa nodded.

"Well, why don't you come out to the terrace. I've gotten terribly bored of Max and his same five stories. You look like you could use a break," she said. Georg looked down at his unfinished email. Denying Elsa at this point would seem futile. She was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted and considering Georg hadn't given her anything she wanted in a while, he supposed it was the least he could do. He didn't want to initiate any further argument.

"Some fresh air sounds lovely," he replied, flashing her a charming smile. Elsa smiled back at him as he rose from his chair and followed her out of the room.

They walked in silence to the terrace. Georg was too busy thinking about the conversation they had just had to even try and initiate a new conversation. She had called him out on his behaviour, but he had expected more. He had expected her to come right out and ask him why he wouldn't sleep with her. Ultimately, he was relieved she hadn't. He wasn't sure how he would have gotten out of that one.

"Ah, Georg, there you are. I was beginning to think we wouldn't see you until dinner," Max said from his seat as he saw the two exit the house. Georg gave him a weak smile before shouts and laughter caught his attention. He looked past Max, out into the yard where his children were playing a game with their governess.

Maria's head was thrown back in laughter as Kurt tripped trying to grab Brigitta in what Georg could only assume was a game of tag. He was glad to see that Kurt's ankle was feeling better, even though he was a little wary of his son injuring himself again.

"I can't tell what they are playing," Max said. "It looks like some sort of tag game, but every once in a while, Friedrich will throw a ball at someone and they fall to the ground and stay there until someone else runs over to revive them. It's quite peculiar."

"It must be one of the games they've made up," Georg said, a fond smile spreading across his face as he watched Marta run after Maria.

"Why don't you take a seat, Georg? I'm sure Elsa is bored to death of me," Max chuckled.

"She may have mentioned something about that," Georg said, tearing his eyes away from his children to quirk an eyebrow at Max. Elsa laughed.

"Oh, Max, you know I could never truly grow bored of you," she said. Max poured a glass of lemonade from the pitcher on the table. Georg moved to the end of the table furthest from the door, taking a seat. He noted that he had a pleasant view of his children's antics.

"Yes, I know. You've put up with me eight years longer than most," Max replied before taking a sip from his glass.

"I've only known you for eight years," Elsa replied, blinking at Max.

"Exactly," Max said. Elsa laughed. Georg smiled in Max's direction before turning his head back to where his children were playing. Maria had been caught by Marta and Georg presumed that she was now 'it'. She ran after Louisa, who skillfully dodged all of her governess' attempts to catch her. But Maria wasn't one to give up. She chased Louisa around the yard, lunging forward to catch a hold of the girl's arm before running in the opposite direction.

Georg chuckled to himself. It really was refreshing to watch her participate so actively with his children. He doubted any of the other governesses had engaged so intimately with the children. Then again, he wouldn't know. He wasn't around enough to know.

He shook his head. He knew he couldn't get upset about it. He was striving to be a better father, and that's what he had to focus on. If he continued to drown in the failings of his past, he would never move forward.

It seemed that the children had begun to gang up on Maria. Three of them began to circle her before closing in. Max was right, the game was peculiar. He couldn't recall any game where there would be three people acting as the 'it' person, but then again, who was he to judge? As long as they were happy, Georg didn't care what they played.

His eyes wandered to Maria, who was trying to dodge the attacks coming from his three eldest children. She was fast, he had to give her that. Her long legs gave her a speed in which she could have been a marathon runner. Her legs were toned and strong too, he could see the muscles flexing where her denim shorts ended.

"So, what about you, Georg?" the sound of his name pulled him from his thoughts. He turned his attention to Max, who watched him with a curious look.

"Hm?" he replied. He grabbed a glass and began to pour himself some lemonade. His throat suddenly felt very dry.

"Did you not hear a word we just said?" Max asked. Elsa cocked her head at Georg, watching him with a careful intensity that made Georg's skin crawl.

"I'm afraid not. I've been trying to decipher what the rules of this game are," Georg said, nodding towards the yard. He brought the glass to his lips and swallowed some of the sweet liquid. Strange, he thought, his throat still felt incredibly dry.

"We were talking about our first kisses," Max said. Georg raised his eyebrows and laughed dryly.

"Isn't that a little juvenile?" Georg asked. Why on earth three grown adults would be recounting their first kisses was beyond him. It seemed like something young girls in high school would be gossiping about at a sleep over.

"I'm bored! Just humour us, Georg. I revealed that mine was in a custodian closet in middle school. She was two years ahead of me, and she did it on a dare. But I'm telling you, your friend Max didn't disappoint. She came back the next day asking for seconds," Max said, lounging back in his chair with a proud smirk plastered on his face before taking a sip of his lemonade. Elsa scoffed.

"Surely, you're embellishing," she said.

"Oh no, dear. It was all over the school the next day that I was a phenomenal kisser. I had girls lining up for a taste," Max exclaimed. He eyed Elsa. "I could show you if you'd like."

"Max! You really are detestable," Elsa said through her breathy chuckles. Georg rolled his eyes. Max had always been an extravagant story teller.

"I'm pretty sure none of that happened," Georg stated. Max turned his attention to Georg.

"Do I need to show _you_?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Georg laughed weakly.

"No, I think I'm okay," Georg said.

"Well I've told you mine. Elsa's was extremely boring," Max said. Elsa scoffed and smacked Max's arm.

"It was not boring. My first kiss was with my first boyfriend in middle school at a school dance. It was all very romantic," she said, glancing in Georg's direction. He gave her a weak smile, but the undertones of her glance didn't pass him by.

"Boring," Max cooed. Elsa smacked his arm again. "Ow! Okay, Georg, it's your turn."

"Really? This seems entirely unnecessary," Georg groaned. He wasn't one for silly games. He detested them, really.

"Come on. Share with the class. And please let it be more exciting than Elsa's," Max said. Another smack landed on his arm. "Woman, I bruise like a peach."

"It's nothing you don't deserve," she muttered. Max shrugged and looked at Georg expectantly. Georg sighed. When Max was bored, there was nothing he wouldn't do to hear a juicy scoop of gossip. It irritated Georg to no end.

"Fine. I was in high school. As you already know, I was active in the drama community. I was the understudy for Romeo in the school play, and just my luck, the original Romeo got sick on opening night, so I had to step up," Georg groaned at the memory. His Juliet had been nearly half a foot taller than him and the roughest player on the girl's rugby team. She had man handled him like a sack of potatoes.

"So, your first kiss was during a re-enactment of Romeo and Juliet?" Max asked.

"Yes. And it lacked any romance at all. It was rather awkward, honestly," he shuddered. Max barked with laughter.

"That has to be the saddest story I've ever heard!" Max's laugh echoed across the terrace. Georg groaned in frustration. He hadn't even wanted to tell the story in the first place.

"What's the saddest story you've ever heard?" Georg's head snapped over to the stairs leading up to the terrace where Maria was walking towards them. He hadn't noticed that she had been coming in their direction. He felt his heart rate pick up and he straightened himself up in his seat.

"Georg's first kiss. It took place on the stage, where he was always meant to be," Max laughed. Georg narrowed his eyes. Why did Max always have to be so funny? _If you can call him funny_, Georg thought bitterly. Maria said nothing, she didn't even give Georg a glance as she went to reach for the lemonade.

"Georg, that isn't that bad. I've heard worse tales," Elsa said, but she couldn't hold back a small giggle that escaped her throat. Georg rolled his eyes and took a sip of his lemonade. He watched as Maria did the same. She looked out of breath, but there was a certain glow about her. While she looked utterly exhausted, she also looked happy. That made Georg smile to himself. For some reason, it filled his heart with unbridled joy that she was happy with his children, that she was happy in his home.

"What about you, Maria?" Max asked. Georg stilled. Was Max really asking Maria about her first kiss?

"What about me?" she inquired. Max shot Georg a knowing look before answering.

"Well, how did your first kiss happen?" Max asked. Georg wanted to smack the man. It was entirely inappropriate to be asking Maria that. She was working, for Christ's sake! Not only that, but his children were right in the yard.

Georg knew Max's motives. He wanted to see if Georg would react to prove some fictitious theory only Max's ridiculous brain could come up with to be true.

"Oh Max, it's not a very exciting story," Maria said. Georg noticed her cheeks darken as she looked into her glass.

"It has to be better than these two. Please, I'm curious," Max told her. Georg huffed. He had to put a stop to this.

"Didn't anyone tell you that curiosity killed the cat, Max?" Georg said. Maria finally looked in Georg's direction and shot him a thankful glance. Georg smiled back and nodded gently. The least he could do was defend her against Max's inquiries.

"Is it embarrassing?" Max asked. Maria stayed silent. "Well, now I'm really curious."

"Max," Georg said in a warning tone. Max looked in Georg's direction and raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Georg, must you ruin all my fun?" Max asked. Georg shrugged, hoping he had put an end to the conversation.

"I consider it a second job to do so," he replied. Max looked back at Maria.

"I simply won't be able to have any peace of mind until I know," Max told her. Maria looked at Max warily. Georg groaned. Damn Max and his persistence! Damn Max and his need to be in the know for everything! Georg wasn't even sure if he wanted to hear about Maria's first kiss. The thought of her telling the story of some handsome boy from her youth sweeping her off her feet made Georg's stomach tighten.

"Leave the girl alone. You need to get used to not getting what you want," Elsa said to Max. Georg shot Elsa a thankful look. He was glad to see her coming to Maria's defence, even if only for a moment. Max only scoffed.

"Don't you know who I am? I can't leave anything alone," Max said. "Don't tell us any details if you don't want to. I'm just curious on when it was."

Georg rolled his eyes and looked at Maria. She seemed to be staying quiet through this entire attack by Max. He doubted she would indulge him at all. She didn't seem necessarily forthcoming with personal information, especially to those she didn't know that well. Georg knew Max would give up eventually; his stubborn nature only went so far, until the next interesting thing came his way.

Georg brought the glass to his lips once again. He suspected Maria was going to leave or make some excuse about needing to check on the children, even though they were within sight. However, he did not expect the next sentence to come out of her mouth.

"It was four months ago."

Georg's eyes widened as realization flooded over him like a tidal wave. The liquid caught in his throat and he began to sputter and choke. He placed the glass on the table with as much grace as he could while his entire body wracked with the force of the coughs that escaped him. Max stood and began to pat a firm hand against Georg's back.

"Georg, are you all right?" Elsa asked. He glanced up to see Elsa and Maria looking at him with fear in their eyes, one pair of eyes looking a little more guilty than the other. Georg nodded as a few more coughs escaped his lungs.

"Yes, fine. It must have gone down the wrong way," he choked out, nodding towards the glass that sat on the table. The coughing had subsided somewhat, but his lungs still felt incredibly tight while his head spun. Four months ago? Had he heard her right? Perhaps she had said four years and his brain had just misconstrued the information. Yes, that must be it.

"Four months, really?" Max asked as he returned to his chair. Georg shot a menacing look in Max's direction. Of course, he wouldn't be able to simply leave it alone. Max only looked back at Georg with an amused smile on his face. Georg wanted to smack that stupid smirk off his face. This was far from funny.

"Well, yes," she told him quietly, avoiding Georg's burning stare. He wanted her to look at him. More importantly, he wanted to make some sort of apology. Had he really taken her first kiss from her in some kind of drunken, spur of the moment mindset?

"Really? That's hard to believe. You certainly aren't an unattractive girl," Elsa said, watching Georg carefully. Georg took great effort to keep his face neutral, though on the inside, his heart was racing a mile a minute. He felt insurmountable guilt weighing heavy in his chest.

Had he known that she had never kissed anyone, he certainly wouldn't have taken advantage of her in such a way. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Maria was an attractive young woman; he had thought that she had experience. He hadn't doubted that for a moment. But then again, he had never let his mind wander to just how much experience she did have.

"I suppose the opportunity never arose before then," she replied. Her cheeks were bright red now as she kept her glance firmly on the cup in her hand. Georg wondered what she was thinking in that moment. Had she been angry with him all this time for how he had stolen something so precious from her? That would certainly explain her stand-offish attitude towards him on her first day under his employment. And it would explain why she avoided him so diligently now.

"Was he good at least?" Max asked. Georg felt his blood run cold as embarrassment hung over him like a dark cloud. He really didn't want to hear the answer to that. He really didn't want her to go into detail. Georg kicked Max's leg from under the table and gave him a warning look.

"Maria! Are you coming back?" A shout from the yard disrupted the awkwardness of the moment. Georg had never been so glad to hear one of his children's voices. Maria turned to look at Gretl, who was watching her expectantly.

"Of course," Maria said, a smile poised on her face. She turned her head back to Max and Elsa. "I suppose that's my cue."

She walked down the steps and re-entered the game as if she had never left, leaving a silence behind. Georg stared at the table in front of him as he contemplated the information he had just been made aware of. There was a possibility it wasn't him, right? Four months ago, she could have kissed someone before that night. Even as Georg tried to reason with himself, he knew deep down that it couldn't have been anyone else. Maria just wasn't the type. The way her eyes had avoided him, and the way her cheeks had flushed when he looked at her, it had to have been him.

"How strange," Elsa said, ending the silence at the table. Georg said nothing, nor did he make a move. He wasn't sure what to say or do in the moment. His mind felt as if it were in overdrive as Maria's words echoed in his head.

"Oh, I don't know," said Max, "I knew a man who hadn't kissed anyone until he was thirty. Some people just don't find the right person or timing until much later in life."

Except, Georg thought, she hadn't found the right person or the right timing. She had only found a broken man in a nightclub who thought that he had wanted her in the moment.

Georg couldn't focus on anything else that Max or Elsa said. He wasn't even sure how long they were sitting out there. He could hear himself making offhand 'yes's and 'hm's at the appropriate times, but he couldn't, for the life of him, tune his brain in to what they were speaking about. It was impossible for his brain to even process anything else.

Knowing that he was Maria's first kiss cleared some things up for him. The way she had been acting, the way she avoided him, it all made sense. She was probably terrified of him and the way he had acted that night. He had all but gotten her drunk and ravaged her against the side of a building. It was abominable, what he did. And to think he had even thought about letting it go further…

Georg was ashamed. The guilt lay heavy in his chest while his mind spun around the problem that was Maria. No, she wasn't the problem, it was him and his actions. He was the one with more experience. He had known from the minute he saw her that he was much older than she was, so why had he made such a careless decision? Why had he acted no better than a school boy?

Dinner wasn't much different. He could hear the conversations going on around him, but he wasn't sure what anyone was saying. It felt like he was drowning under water while the rest of the world carried on.

All but Maria carried on as normal. She was the only thing his brain seemed to be attuned to at the time. He watched her carefully, noting how quiet and subdued she was, and how her eyes barely left her plate. She only responded when addressed to, and she never dared to look in his direction.

She hadn't looked at him since he had sputtered his lemonade on the terrace, and he was upset by that fact. If he was being honest with himself, the fact that she wasn't looking at him was ruining his mental stability. He needed her to see how sorry he was, he needed her to see that if he had known, he wouldn't have made the same mistakes. But she refused to let her gaze travel from the children.

As he watched her, he found his thoughts solely on her. If she hadn't kissed anyone before him, did that mean she had never… He shook his head. He shouldn't even be questioning her virginity, especially while he was at the table with his family and friends. It shouldn't matter to him whether she was a virgin or not, he had still done something incredibly wrong, even if he hadn't taken it that far.

But his mind still found itself lingering on the question. He was curious. He realized through her confession that he knew next to nothing about the woman who had completely changed his life.

He knew he needed to speak to her. He had to make things right, after all. Georg believed he was a man of honour, he prided himself on that fact. To have done something that was so unhonourable toyed with his mind. And Elsa had been right earlier when she suggested that he was acting like a child by not confronting his problems. He needed to stop hiding. This was an issue that needed to be addressed, lest it become more strained around his house.

He knew she likely wouldn't want to speak to him. He knew that they had agreed to put the whole event behind them in a pact to never speak of it. But if he didn't talk to her about it, he knew the guilt would only pile up in his mind, and he knew that she would only continue to avoid him. He needed to make it clear that his actions would not be repeated.

He saw his chance as everyone got up to leave for dinner.

"Erm, Maria?" he asked as she rose from her seat. She did look up in his direction, but not exactly at him. She seemed to focus her attention somewhere to the left of him. "I was hoping we might be able to speak in my study. I had a few questions about Liesl's project for her studies."

Maria opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it as she noticed Max and Elsa's eyes on her. He didn't doubt that she wanted to refuse to go with him, knowing that he might bring her admittance up, but with Max and Elsa watching What could she really do? Refuse to speak to her employer about her charges?

"If you insist," she said quietly. Georg rose from his seat, ready to get the conversation over with.

"I shouldn't be too long, then maybe we can have a drink later," he forced a smile on his face as he looked down at Elsa, then at Max who was fixing him with a glare.

"Are you sure it can't wait until morning, Georg?" Max asked. Georg knew that Max was on to him. Georg suspected that he knew exactly what he was planning on talking with Maria about, and it had nothing to do with a project. Georg also knew that Max likely wasn't too keen on what Georg was about to do, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He wasn't going to let things go on being uncomfortable if he could put a stop to the tension. Besides, if Max hadn't wanted a conversation like this to ensue, he should have just kept his mouth shut earlier.

"I'm sure, Max. I'll join you in the sitting room when I'm done," Georg told them before gesturing for Maria to follow him. He felt two pairs of eyes follow him out of the room. He knew what he was doing would inevitably raise some questions, especially after he had just had a conversation with Elsa only hours ago. But his main concern was making things right with Maria.

The two walked in silence to his study. He could feel the nerves vibrating off Maria. His own heart was beating erratically in his chest. Did she think he was mad? Did she think he was going to reprimand her for confessing what she had? His heart fell at the thought. Did she really still consider him to be some sort of ill-tempered monster?

They made it to the door, not a word being shared between them. As Georg began to unlock the door, he spared a glance in Maria's direction. She was looking at one of the walls, her features wearing a deep frown. He opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. Georg followed, closing the door with a gentle click.

For a moment, he just leaned back against the hard wood of the door and watched her. She stood in the center of the room, not quite sure where she should go. She wrung her hands and shifted from foot to foot. She was sure not to make eye contact with him, keeping her gaze to the floor beneath her feet as she chewed on her bottom lip. Georg had come to realize these as signs of her discomfort.

He pushed himself off the door and walked over to the sofa, easing back into the plush cushions. He folded his hands in his lap to try and still his twitching fingers. Maria made no move to sit down.

"Please, Maria, have a seat," he said softly, gesturing to the sofa with his hand. Maria shook her head.

"You wanted to ask me about Liesl's project, that shouldn't take too long, right?" she asked timidly. Georg sighed.

"You know I didn't ask you here to talk about the children," he stated. He watched Maria's shoulders slump as she nodded slowly.

"I know," she said gently. Georg wracked his brain about how to start such a conversation. Did he just ask her flat out? Did he ease into the conversation? Should he try starting with humour? He was no expert at navigating such an awkward conversation. In fact, he took great measures to avoid ever having such a conversation. He had never been fond of confrontation. But as he contemplated on how to gently ease into what he knew was going to be a difficult topic, he was saved by her voice rising up.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she said as she began pacing in front of him, "I can be so silly sometimes. I don't think before I say things, you know. I just say them without thinking of any repercussions. And I wasn't going to say anything, I really wasn't. But Max was staring up at me with these expecting eyes, and Elsa was eying me with a hawk like gaze. It just slipped out. And I'm so sorry for saying it, especially in front of your friends. I mean, Max obviously knows! I didn't think about how it might affect you if I said anything. And I-."

Georg had heard enough. He held a hand up to stop her.

"Maria, stop," he told her firmly. She stopped and turned towards him, and for the first time in what seemed like hours, she finally looked at him. Her eyes were full of sorrow and guilt, and Georg had to wonder why. Did she think she had done something wrong? No, if anyone was in the wrong, it was him.

"Sit down," he said, nodding to the sofa. This time, she did take a seat on the opposite end of the sofa from him. She wrung her hands in her lap as she stared straight ahead of her.

"I'm not angry," he told her in a gentler tone. She turned her head to look at him, scanning his face for any sign of doubt. "At least, I'm not angry at you."

"You're not?" she asked in disbelief. He shook his head, straightening himself in his seat.

"No. I'm angry at Max for his persistence and for asking you the question in the first place. I know you were in an awkward position, and I'm sorry I didn't do more to make him stop. But I can only take my anger with Max so far. I'm the one I'm most angry with," he told her, casting his eyes downwards to his hands.

"Why?" she asked. Georg could almost laugh at her asking that question. Wasn't she angry with him too?

"Aren't you angry with me?" he asked. He watched as his thumb began to tap against the back of his hand in random patterns.

"No," she told him. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not angry at you. Why should I be?"

"Because of that night. Because I took something away from you. I know we said we would leave it in the past, but I can't. Obviously, you're uncomfortable around me and I think it has something to do with that night. We can't keep dancing around it if we want to work together as a team," he stated. She looked away from him, chewing on her bottom lip as she surveyed the books along the far wall of his study.

"I'm not angry," she told him again. She looked back in his direction with solemn eyes. "And I'm not uncomfortable around you."

"The hell you aren't!" Georg exclaimed. "You avoid me at every turn, unless the children are present. You take extreme measures not to talk to me, and you barely even look me in the eye. I thought we said we were going to be a team. We can't be a team if we don't even talk to each other. If it's that night that's making you uncomfortable, then tell me. You're the only governess in five years that my children have taken to, and I don't want them to lose you because I made a mistake."

Georg felt several emotions rise to the surface. While the guilt and remorse had already been present, he began to feel pangs of sadness and loss. Would she really leave them? He wasn't sure he could take it if she did. The children loved her; it was clear in their eyes when she entered a room. If she left, he wasn't sure they would ever forgive him for it. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forgive himself.

She was silent for a long time, keeping her eyes in her lap. Georg's fingers tapped against his knee as he waited for some kind of a response. The silence would surely be his undoing.

"I don't know how to explain it. I haven't confronted anything about that night. I haven't wanted to. I mean it was fine when I had no idea who you were, I could live with it. But now you're my employer. It all just became so complicated," she muttered. Georg understood better than she probably thought he did. It had become very complicated. He closed his eyes briefly and tried to calm his frantic mind.

"Then let's uncomplicate it. I think we need to talk about it," he said hesitantly. Maria glanced at him with bewildered eyes. He knew she wouldn't want to talk about it. To be honest, he didn't either. Talking about it would only bring up memories he would rather not relive; memories that already haunted his every sleeping hour. But maybe, he thought, if they talked about it, the discomfort, the awkwardness, and the dreams would just stop. He needed to try, at least, for his sanity.

"I don't think that will help anything," she said, biting her lip. He shrugged as he stood from the sofa.

"With the way things are now, it certainly couldn't hurt. Do you want a drink?" he asked as he walked over to the small bar in his office that sat behind the couch. He picked out a bottle of whiskey and began to pour a glass for himself. He knew he would need a stiff drink if he was going to be delving into such a conversation. The idea alone had his stomach twisting in uncomfortable ways.

"Just water, please," he heard her say. He poured her a glass of water and walked back over to the couch with the glasses. He handed the water to her. "Thank you."

"Now," he started as he sat back down, "let me start by saying that it was not my intention for things to get so out of hand when I met you that night."

"It wasn't?" she asked. Georg frowned. What kind of man did she think he was?

"Did you think that I purposely spilt a drink on you to try and seduce you?" he asked. She shrugged.

"It crossed my mind," she told him. He felt his ego take the hit. It wasn't an idea that was completely out of the question. He was an older man who had been in a nightclub who struck up a conversation with a far younger woman. He could see where things might get misconstrued, but he didn't want her thinking that he was that type of man.

"Well, it wasn't my intention. Spilling the drink was entirely accidental," he muttered. He took a sip of his whiskey. He would need another five of those to make the discussion the least bit tolerable. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Were you, um, trying to get me drunk?" she asked quietly, averting her eyes. Georg narrowed his eyes at her. Did she really think he had been trying to get her wasted so he could do as he pleased with her?

"No," he told her earnestly, his fingers twitching against his leg, "I just thought buying you a couple drinks was the least I could do after nearly drowning you."

"So, you had no, erm, ulterior motives?" she asked. Georg inwardly groaned. He wasn't sure he was going to leave such a discussion with his dignity intact.

"No. Like I said, I had no intention of it going as far as it did. I had actually planned to spend most of the night with Max, and then when he ran off, I figured I was on my own," he told her. He took another sip. She finally faced him. Her face was a furious pink, but he could see that she had stopped wringing her hands.

"Then why did you strike up a conversation with me?" she asked a little more firmly. He paused. That was a good question – one in which he wasn't entirely sure of the answer.

"I don't know. Your personality was refreshing, I suppose I found myself curious about you," he muttered, keeping his eyes on his cup. If he thought he had felt embarrassed before, he was wrong. This line of interrogation felt like a complete bruise to his ego. Why had he even decided to bring this up again?

"Why didn't you mention your children?" she asked. Georg sighed.

"As you know, I wasn't really in good standing with them. I guess it was nice being able to forget about my failings as a father and a man for a night with someone who didn't know me," he said. She nodded in understanding. "Any more questions?"

"Just one," she said. He watched as she bit her lip and kept her eyes on her feet. Whatever her question was, she was rather shy about asking it.

"Go on, you can ask me," he told her, leaning forward slightly to get her to look at him. He wanted her to know that she didn't have to be afraid to ask him anything. She looked up to meet his eye.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked. Georg's heart hammered in his chest. How was he supposed to answer this one? Could he tell her that he was amazed by her beauty and her view of the world – so much so that he just couldn't help himself? No, he didn't want to make her anymore uncomfortable around him that she already was. While he had prided himself on being totally honest up to this point, he wasn't about to confront certain ideas that were swimming around in the back of his mind where they belonged.

"It felt right in the moment," he answered tentatively. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was enough, he hoped, to ease her mind. She nodded, but her brows furrowed together. She obviously wasn't happy with his explanation, but Georg feared that it was all he could give her without scaring her. "Can I ask you something?"

"I think it's only fair," she muttered without looking up at him. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"If you hadn't, uh, kissed anyone before, why did you let me?" he asked. It was the question that had been weighing heavy on his mind for the entire afternoon. He needed to know. He desperately hoped it didn't have anything to do with how much she had drank. He wasn't sure if he could live with himself if it did.

She slowly brought her gaze up to look at him, scanning his face with tentative eyes. He noticed just how blue her eyes were and he was struck by the memory of drowning in them under the stars. His breath quickened as he anticipated an answer, all while trying desperately not to get lost in her all-consuming eyes.

"It felt right in the moment," she threw back at him. Georg winced at his own words being used against him, but he supposed it served him right. If he couldn't give her a straight answer, why should she? But his brain didn't accept such an answer. He wanted to know. Was it for the same reason that he had kissed her?

"I am sorry, if I had known, I wouldn't have, erm, taken it as far as I did," he said, scratching behind his ear. Maria shrugged.

"How were you supposed to know?" she asked, staring at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"I just hope-. I mean I don't want it to have been-. Well, because it was your first-. Uh, I just don't want it to have been a terrible experience for you," he mumbled quickly before downing the rest of the liquid in his cup. He felt the heat prickle on his face.

"It, um, wasn't a terrible experience," she muttered back, taking a sip of her water. Georg smiled, despite himself. He wasn't sure why her words had made his heart soar, but he felt himself recover at a rapid pace from the awkwardness that had bruised his ego so badly.

"Good," he replied, "Now, do you think we can move past this?"

"I think we can try," she said, looking at him with a genuine sparkle in her eye. He hoped that they could. With everything out in the open, surely, they would be able to move forward, right?

"Maybe we can try and be friends?" he suggested with a tentative shrug. Maria nodded slowly.

"I think I'd like us to try," she said. Georg smiled at her.

"I'd like that too," he told her earnestly. She gave him a small smile back. He really did want them to try and be friends. Despite their past, he found himself happy in her presence. She made him laugh and he found himself extremely curious about where this whirlwind of a governess had come from.

"I should probably go see what the children are up to. I know they wanted to watch a movie tonight," she said. Georg nodded. This time, he knew it wasn't a tactic to avoid him. Her genuine concern for his children was admirable.

"Yes, I need to make sure Max hasn't raided the cellar yet. He seems to have a knack for finding all the keys in this house," he muttered. Maria giggled and the sound shot straight to Georg's heart. It was nice to be able to make her giggle in his presence. It filled him with a sense of joy that he was able to do so, and the sound brought a smile to her face.

"I suppose I'll see you later, Captain," she said, placing her glass on the table next to her and rising from her seat.

"You can call me Georg, you know," he told her. She looked back at him with a playful smile on her face, one that made his heart rate pick up. She really did have an enchanting smile, he noted.

"I kind of like calling you Captain," she said. Georg chuckled. He realized that he didn't really mind hearing her call him that.

"Then Captain it is," he said back, a light smile on his lips. "Thank you, Maria. I know it wasn't exactly easy to talk about this."

"I'm glad we did. I think it answered some questions for both of us," she told him. Georg nodded.

"Yes, I think it did us some good," he replied. "But I want to thank you for everything else you've done too. This place is a home now, and a large part of that is owed to you. Don't say it's not or claim you have nothing to do with it, just let me thank you."

"You're welcome," she said softly, her cheeks darkening. He smiled when she didn't brush the compliment off.

"Good night, Maria," he said.

"Good night, Captain," she said, making her way to the door. She gave him one last gentle smile before exiting the room. Georg laid his head back against the couch, a smile plastered on his face. He was truly glad that they had talked about that night, as awkward as it had been. He really hoped that it would make her a little less uncomfortable around him.

He also hoped that now that he had confronted it, maybe his subconscious would return to normal. Maybe the dreams that plagued his every sleeping moment would dissipate, now that he had talked to her about it and cleared the air. Maybe his body would go back to normal, as well. Maybe his chest would stop feeling so tight when she entered a room, or his heart would cease its hammering every time he caught her eye. Maybe all that anxiety he felt was due to not having confronted that night. He hoped his anxiety would cease now that they had both openly discussed it.

All in all, the conversation they had filled him with hope for the future. He hoped that it would dispel the tension. Perhaps he could focus on finding normalcy in his life. The past four months had tortured his mind and his soul, but now they had talked about it. It was out in the open. Surely, that meant things had to change, right? Now that he had closure, things would naturally have to go back to normal.

He had confronted all his fears and anxieties about Maria. He was proud of himself for that. He was proud of himself from not hiding away. He could finally move forward with his life.

What he didn't realize in the moment was that he was completely and totally lying to himself.

* * *

**A/N: My lord, what a chapter. This definitely had OC moments, I know that, although I hope I did okay in keeping everyone relatively in character. It's proven to be quite difficult to keep everyone strictly aligned with their characters in a modern setting. I just live for awkward, confused Georg. And I needed these two fools to confront **_**the night**_** because it was driving me insane. Even though, maybe they didn't confront everything they should have?**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite the twists. As I was writing it, I really began to realize how far from the original plot it was. Then again, between the argument by the lake and the puppet show, I have virtually no content to go off, so I'm just filling in the blanks to fit with this wild Modern AU.**

**I've also completely given up on trying to write decent sized chapters. My original goal was 4,000 to 6,000 words per chapter. Yes, well, you see how well that worked out as this chapter is nearly at 10k. I'm sorry for giving you such monstrously long chapters. **

**Thank you to every single one of you for reading, and a special thanks to those of you who left such lovely reviews on the last chapter. I was absolutely shocked by the positive response. Honestly, a few reviews even sparked inspiration unintentionally. I have the next five chapters outlined and ready to be written. Some of the upcoming chapters are going to loosely relate back to the original plot. I promise I'm trying to stick with the key events; I just like giving it a little modern twist.**

**Also, my exams are over! Thank you for the good luck wishes, I really appreciated them. Everything went smoothly, so fingers crossed. And now I have all this time to write. I have some pretty heavy things in store for you, so beware. **


	11. Chapter Eleven

Maria had quickly learned one thing about Georg; like her, he was an early riser.

She had known this ever since they had bumped into each other that morning in the kitchen before he left for Vienna. Ever since he had been back, she had avoided leaving her room before it was time to wake the children up, just in case he might be downstairs. She didn't want to be alone with him. She was too lost in her own thoughts when she was around him that she didn't know how to carry herself when he was alone with her in the same room.

She had always felt nervous around him. She had knots in her stomach and her mind raced wildly whenever he looked at her. It made her incredibly uncomfortable because she wasn't able to explain why. She had come to realize it was because she was still holding on to the awkwardness of the night all those months ago. She had refused to confront it, because she was fearful that confronting what had happened would end anything professional between them. Talking about it only seemed like a recipe for disaster. She couldn't believe how wrong she had been.

Ever since their talk only four days before, everything had changed. Maria had realized she couldn't spend her time avoiding Georg. He was her employer, after all. They were living under the same roof. He had caught on to her little act of avoiding him at all costs and he had made it very clear that such a stunt wasn't going to work for him.

She couldn't explain why he insisted on getting to know her, she doubted that he had ever tried to get to know any of the previous governesses. But she supposed this time was different – he was different.

After their talk, she knew she couldn't avoid him, and frankly, she didn't really feel the need to. Their conversation had put some of her nerves at ease, and he had answered many of the questions that had weighed heavy on her mind. She didn't feel uncomfortable around him anymore. She actually found herself enjoying his company.

He was kind, funny, and intelligent – a complete juxtaposition to the stony masked man she had once known. It was refreshing to spend time with this new version of Georg. He had numerous stories about his travels around the world and about his children when they were younger. In truth, she found herself eager to hear about his stories of life. He had so much life experience, and his capacity to tell an interesting tale of his adventures was intoxicating.

She actually felt quite at ease with Georg. He had the ability to make her laugh at the most unexpected times. She couldn't quite explain the ease that had fallen between them, but it was welcome in her eyes. She liked the lack of tension between them. It was nice to just be able to talk to him and have him talk to her. He didn't treat her just as an employee, but he treated her as an equal, a team mate, even a friend. It was a nice change to the awkwardness that had surrounded them only a week before.

She had learned many things about Georg since. He loved old movies. He had been quite the piano player only years ago. He had been swimming since the age of three. He had a soft spot for Italian food. And, of course, he had been rising at the crack of dawn for as long as he could remember.

So, as Maria walked down the hallway to the kitchen that morning to make herself a cup of tea, as she had done for the past three mornings, she wasn't surprised to hear Georg bustling about.

She leaned against the doorway and watched as he walked to one of the cupboards to pull out a couple of mugs, whistling an unfamiliar tune. He began placing sugar and cream into the cups. He was already dressed, sporting a dark green polo and a pair of jeans, which had become a custom for him. He looked extremely at ease, and she liked the relaxed look on him. It showed a more human side of him that she wasn't sure everyone saw.

Realizing she was just blatantly watching an oblivious Georg, she averted her eyes and walked into the kitchen to make her presence known. He turned towards the sound of footsteps and shot her one of his signature smiles that she was sure had charmed many a person.

"Good morning," he said to her. He grabbed two teabags from the drawer and began to put them in the cups. Maria sat down at one of the stools at the island and watched him curiously. Two mugs? Perhaps Elsa or Max had woken up early as well.

"Good morning," she replied as the kettle began to whistle. Georg switched off the kettle and poured the boiling water into the cups.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. This had become a routine between them. Each morning, Maria would find Georg in the kitchen and he would ask how she slept. She couldn't recall the last time a person had checked in with her in such a way. She kind of liked the normalcy of it.

"I did, thank you. Did you?" she asked. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a weak smile.

"Well enough," he replied. Maria had noticed that he always gave a vague answer when she asked about his sleep. She wondered if there had been something keeping him up. She had begun to notice the dark circles that had been forming under his eyes recently. She quickly shook the thought away. It wasn't her place to worry about whether he was sleeping or not. Her job was taking care of the children, not him.

He picked up the two mugs and placed one in front of her. She was somewhat caught off guard. He had never made her tea before. She looked down at the tea with confusion in her eyes.

"Two sugars, one cream," he told her before taking a sip of his own tea. She was even more perplexed that he had known how she took her tea. It seemed like an oddly intimate detail to know about a person. She tried to recall if she had ever told him how she took her tea. She didn't think so.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, blinking down at the steaming mug in front of her.

"I know," he replied, giving her a beaming smile. Maria looked up and gave him a bashful smile back. She didn't quite know how to feel about the fact that he had been paying attention to how she took her tea. On one hand it was almost flattering. On the other hand, she felt a strange flutter in her stomach.

"What's on the agenda today?" Georg asked as he walked around the island to sit on the stool next to her. He looked out the window at the rising sun, as he often did when they chatted in the kitchen in the morning.

"I was thinking the usual. Studies, lunch, a game, reading," she listed off with a shrug. She wrapped her hands around the ceramic of her cup, revelling in the warmth.

"I was thinking we skip all of that today," Georg said, a sly smile poised on his face as he turned to look at her. Maria's eyes widened. He wanted to skip studies and required reading? She knew he had changed but even that seemed extreme for Georg.

"Really?" she asked. Georg laughed at her baffled look.

"Yes. I thought maybe I'd take the kids into town today. Liesl, Friedrich, and Louisa used to love going window shopping. They would press their little faces up to the glass of every window they passed," Georg said, smiling fondly. Maria couldn't help her own smile from spreading across her face. She loved hearing him talk about what the children were like when they were younger. She could picture the oldest three pressing their noses up against the glass to take a peek at what was inside.

"If that's what you want to do, I don't mind. I could always occupy myself by catching up on marking," she said. Georg's face fell a little, but he quickly covered it up with a weak smile.

"Yes, I suppose you are long overdue for a day off. Sorry about that," he told her. Maria shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"I would have brought it up if it was really a problem. But a day of rest does sound nice," she replied. It really did sound nice to have a day to herself. She loved the children dearly, but they could be exhausting at times. She hadn't really had a day off since she had started working at the von Trapp household. She didn't think Georg had purposely forgotten. He had been going through a lot of change that it might have just slipped his mind. She really didn't mind though. She loved the children dearly, and spending time with them had never been a chore.

"If you want to take the weekend off, I'm sure I can manage," he told her. She didn't miss the way his lips quirked down slightly. Maria smiled at the thought but shook her head.

"Thank you, but I really don't mind. I like spending time with the children," Maria said. Georg looked at her with an intensity she had grown accustomed to. He seemed to get an endearing sparkle in his eye whenever she talked about his children.

"I'm glad," he told her earnestly.

"Although, I was wondering if I could have next Friday off. Jane is coming down to Salzburg for a few days and wants to meet for lunch," she said. Georg nodded and lifted his mug to his lips to take a sip of his tea.

"Of course. How is Jane? You don't talk about her much," he said. Maria cast her eyes downwards. She supposed she didn't really talk a lot about her life outside of the children very much. The children had very much become the focus of her world for the time being.

"Oh, she's fine. We haven't kept in much contact. She's met a new man who has been keeping her pretty occupied," she said before taking a sip of her own tea. It was true. Maria hadn't heard much from Jane until the last couple days, not that Maria minded. The children had kept her relatively busy that she hardly even noticed.

"Oh, I see," Georg said with a chuckle. "What about any other friends from school? Have you heard much from them?"

"I didn't socialize a whole lot on campus. I studied more than I went out. The only times I did go out were when Jane insisted that I go to a party with her," she admitted. Maria was a sociable person, but she was much more focused on her grades than making many friends. She had the odd group of people she had spent time with in school, but no one besides Jane who she felt the need to get in contact with.

"Really? That surprises me," Georg said. Maria raised an eyebrow at him. What kind of girl did he take her for?

"Why?" she asked. Georg shrugged.

"I guess I pegged you for a social butterfly. You're easy to talk to," he said. Maria smiled at him. She was glad he thought she was easy to talk to.

"I can be. I'm just not much of a party girl," she told him. Georg chuckled.

"No, I guess not. But, of course, you can take Friday off," he said. Maria smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said. She took a sip of her tea. He had made it perfect. She could argue that it was better than when she made her tea. "Will Max and Elsa be going with you today?"

"I think so. If I can get them to wake up. We'll have to take two cars," he replied. Maria let out a light laugh. It was never easy travelling with seven children.

"I guess it's pretty hard to transport seven children and three adults in one vehicle," she said. Georg smiled down at his mug.

"I've thought about purchasing a small bus just to get everyone around," he admitted. Maria laughed whole heartedly at that. The image of Georg driving a bus while his children buzzed with excitement in the back was far too comical to her.

"I can't picture you driving a small bus full of your children," she told him. Georg raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, obviously I'd have Franz drive the bus," he replied with a sly smile. That made her giggle more. She could only picture Franz rolling his eyes as the squeals of Georg's children echoed through the bus.

"I don't think Franz would be too happy about that," she said.

"I don't think Franz would be too happy if he won the lottery. He's a miserable man," he replied. Maria smiled. The man did seem miserable no matter what he was doing.

She took another sip of her tea as they fell into a comfortable silence. She noticed Georg was staring out the window, watching the sun come over the horizon.

"I've always loved watching the sun rise," Georg told her, breaking the silence. "It signals a new day, where everything can change. When I was deployed, I would always wake to watch the sun rise. I knew that somewhere out there, Agathe was watching the same sun."

Georg hadn't mentioned Agathe much in the conversations they had, not that Maria minded. She knew it was still a sore spot for him. Just because he had changed that didn't mean the pain just went away. A quiet look of somberness would cross his face when he did mention her. It made Maria's heart pang. She didn't like seeing him unhappy, not that she should care. It wasn't her place to care about him, but she knew that a part of her would always want him to be happy.

"I meant to ask you, how did you serve in the navy for a landlocked country?" she asked, hoping the topic would dispel some of the pain in his eyes. It worked. Georg laughed.

"I was wondering when you might ask that. Austria doesn't have a navy, but Italy does. I was born here, but I was raised in Italy for about ten years. I had dual citizenship so when I turned eighteen, my father had me enlist in their navy," he told her. Maria nodded in understanding.

"That makes a lot more sense. How long did you serve in the navy?" she asked. She had been rather fascinated about his role in the navy since she had found out that he was a retired sea captain. She found herself wanting to know more about his time serving in the navy.

"About fifteen years," he replied. "I was promoted to captain after about ten years of service. You know, I actually met Max in the navy."

"Max? Really? He doesn't seem like the type," she said with a light laugh. Max was the type of man who groaned at the idea of carrying too many things at once. He certainly didn't seem like the kind of man who could handle the physical labour of being in the navy.

"He's not. He enlisted around the same time I did. He unsurprisingly only lasted six months," Georg said, laughing fondly.

"But you stayed friends?" she asked.

"He followed me around like a puppy for the whole six months. I was annoyed by him really, but he stuck around like the plague. Once he was gone, I didn't talk to him much. Three years later, I walked into a pub and there he was, drunk and unsure of where he was. But he recognized me and insisted I sit down and have a drink with him. Somehow, the next morning, we ended up at a little run-down place Max claimed was his apartment. Since then, he's always kept in contact. I guess he took a liking to me. I haven't been able to get rid of him since," Georg explained.

Maria smiled. The way he spoke about Max was endearing. Georg put on this façade of feigned annoyance with him, but she could tell that Max was like a brother to him. He truly did love Max, even if he would never admit it.

"Maria, father, what are you doing up?" a small voice from the door caught their attention. They both turned to see Brigitta standing in the doorway, already dressed for the day.

"Hello, darling," Georg said, smiling at her.

"Did you sleep well, Brigitta?" Maria asked the girl.

"Yes. I just came down for some water," she said, walking over to the cupboard to grab a glass.

"How would you feel about going into town today?" Georg asked. Brigitta spun around to face her father.

"Really?" she asked, her voice coated with outright enthusiasm. Maria smiled. Brigitta was over the moon that her father had been spending more time with them. She gushed about her father whenever he wasn't in the room.

"Sure. Do you think your brothers and sisters would like to go?" he asked.

"I think they'd be delighted. Maria, are you coming?" Brigitta asked as she filled up her glass.

"Not this time. I'm going to catch up on some marking," Maria said. Brigitta turned back with a frown, her mouth open and ready to speak.

"Now, Brigitta, Maria deserves a day off. You need to give her a break, lest she get tired of you," he said. He caught Maria's eye and shot her a wink. Maria could feel her heart hammer in her chest. _Calm down_, she told herself. There was no reason her cheeks should be flushing at a simple wink from Georg. She took a sip of her tea, hoping the cup would hide the darkening hue.

"Yes, father," Brigitta said, looking down at the floor. Maria frowned. She didn't want to make the poor girl sad. A part of her felt flattered that Brigitta enjoyed spending time with her. While Brigitta wasn't the most closed off of the children, she didn't easily accept just anyone.

"Besides, Uncle Max and Mrs. Schraeder will be joining us. We'll have a full group," Georg said. Maria watched Brigitta's face twitch, but she covered it up with a weak smile.

"Should I wake everyone up?" she asked. Georg checked his watch.

"It seems they've gotten an extra ten minutes of sleep. If you could wake them up, that would be a big help," Georg said with a smile. Brigitta drank her water before running out of the kitchen, no doubt excited to start the day.

"Oh, I must have lost track of the time. I'm so sorry, I meant to wake them up. I-," Georg cut her off with a soft laugh.

"Don't fret. It's your day off. You have zero responsibility today," Georg told her. Maria shot him a grateful smile.

"Thank you," she said.

"I suppose I should go wake up Max and Elsa. I don't know if you've noticed, but Max gets rather cranky if he's not fed," Georg said. He grabbed his mug and Maria's now empty mug and took them to the sink.

"I've noticed," Maria said while chuckling.

"I'll see you for breakfast?" he said.

"Yes," she replied. He gave her a beaming smile and left the kitchen. Maria found her own smile still plastered on her face after he had left. She liked the moments where he allowed himself to be open with her. It was nice that he had a semblance of trust with her. And she liked that conversation came so easily between them. She spent so much time with the children that it was nice to have an adult to talk to at times.

She pushed herself off her seat and made her way out of the kitchen, a smile still poised on her face.

* * *

Breakfast had been a lively affair. Once all the children had realized they didn't have to do their studies, they were practically vibrating in their seats. Maria knew a part of their excitement came from their father taking them out as well. It was endearing that they enjoyed their time with their father so much.

The past few days, Georg had been exceptional with his children. He spent every spare moment with them. He was engaging and attentive, and the children were eating it up. It was all they had wanted for five years.

After they had left, Maria decided to keep true to her word and mark some of the children's work. Even though she was technically not supposed to be working, she knew it would put her mind at ease if she could get all of the marking she had to catch up on out of the way.

She set herself up in the study room and got started on marking. The children were truly intelligent kids. The papers by Friedrich and Louisa were exceptionally well worded and full of insightful ideas. Liesl's work was always refreshing to read. She had just completed a slideshow presentation on World War One and it was concise, but informative. Maria was very impressed. Even Kurt's papers were fascinating, and his spelling had come a long way. Brigitta's literature reports were always a treat. She was a very bright young lady who clearly had a passion for reading. And little Marta and Gretl were developing quite nicely in their maths. Overall, Maria was extremely impressed and proud of the children.

She was about half way through Friedrich's paper on _Othello_ when her phone buzzed from beside her. She was alarmed at first. There weren't a whole lot of people that would be trying to contact her, besides maybe Jane. She picked up her phone to see who the message was from.

_Captain: I forgot to ask earlier, but do you need anything? Pens? Pencils? Notebooks? [Sent at 9:43 a.m.]_

Maria smiled. Georg could be extremely thoughtful. She tried to ignore the heat that rose to her cheeks at the idea that he had wondered if she needed anything while he was out.

_To Captain: I think I'm good. Thank you though. [Sent at 9:45 a.m.]_

She turned back to the paper, but she couldn't quite focus on the words. She wondered how he was doing. She wondered if the children were behaving themselves. She supposed there was no harm in asking.

_To Captain: I trust everything is going smoothly? [Sent at 9:47 a.m.]_

She turned back to her marking. She wasn't even sure if he was going to respond. Obviously, he would be busy watching the children. She almost felt as if she was being a nuisance. When her phone buzzed again five minutes later, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

_Captain: Define 'smoothly'. I can barely keep track of them all. I don't know how you do it. [Sent at 9:51 a.m.]_

She let out a little laugh to herself. She knew the seven of them could be a handful. Keeping track of each and every one was the trickiest part.

_To Captain: I'm constantly counting heads. [Sent at 9:52 a.m.]_

Maria turned back to the paper and picked up where she left off. She had gotten through another paragraph before her phone buzzed again. She let it sit for a moment. She was just about finished marking Friedrich's paper.

She wrote out a grade at the top of the page and circled it, drawing a little smiley face next to the grade. She was really impressed with his analysis of the play.

She picked up her phone once she had put the paper in the 'marked' pile.

_Captain: Good advice. How's marking? [Sent at 9:54 a.m.]_

Maria looked at the pile of marking she still had to complete. There were two papers and two math worksheets left to grade.

_To Captain: I'm almost done, actually. [Sent at 9:57 a.m.]_

She picked up Marta's math sheet and began to look it over. She had just started multiplication, but Maria was rather impressed by how quickly she had caught on.

She heard the buzz next to her.

_Captain: That was quick. What are you going to do when you're all done? [Sent at 10:00 a.m.]_

_To Captain: I don't know. Read maybe? [Sent at 10:02 a.m.]_

Maria truly hadn't given much thought to what she was going to do when she was finished marking. She had expected it would take her most of the morning. Reading seemed like a nice way to relax, and that was the whole point of the day, wasn't it?

She went back to looking over Marta's worksheet and smiled when she noticed that Marta had only gotten one question wrong. She wrote out the grade at the top and placed it in the 'marked' pile. She reached for the next piece of work. It was Louisa's paper on biological diversity.

She had gotten a quarter of the way through before her phone buzzed again.

_Captain: If you need any reading material, you're more than welcome to raid my library. Max has already publicly announced where the spare key is kept. [Sent at 10:10 a.m.]_

Maria smiled at the message. It was such a thoughtful thing for him to offer. The thought of being able to look through his vast selection of literature made her feel giddy.

_To Captain: Thank you. I finished my book the other night, so I'm fresh out of material. [Sent at 10:13 a.m.]_

Maria returned to the paper. She was amazed at Louisa's ability to make biological diversity so interesting on the page. She knew the girl had a knack for science, and Maria believed she could go quite far with it one day.

Maria graded the paper and set it to the side when she heard the buzz once again.

_Captain: No problem. Max is claiming he's going to buy the children ice cream. You've been warned. [Sent at 10:19 a.m.]_

Maria laughed out loud. She could picture six of the children – Liesl was more subdued and less prone to a raging sugar high – bouncing off the walls when they returned home. She could also picture Georg's dismayed expression as he watched his children bounce off the walls, helpless to stop the effects of the sugar.

_To Captain: Hey, I'm off duty today. [Sent at 10:21 a.m.]_

She smiled as she sent the message. She knew she would help wear them out if he needed it, but she doubted he would let her. He had been very adamant about her taking the day for herself earlier.

She grabbed the next paper. It was Brigitta's paper on _Pride and Prejudice_. She had practically begged Maria to let her read it for her literature study. Maria suspected the girl was going through a romance craze.

Another buzz caught her attention.

_Captain: You'd make me handle seven children on a sugar high by myself? [Sent at 10:24 a.m.]_

_To Captain: Max will be here. You've got back up. [Sent at 10:25 a.m.]_

Maria knew Max would be useless. If anything, he would only encourage the bouncing off the walls.

She turned back to Brigitta's paper. She was thoroughly impressed as she read through the numerous themes Brigitta listed throughout her paper. She hadn't solely focused on the romance.

The buzz went off just as she was finishing the last paragraph.

_Captain: Max supplies the sugar. He doesn't deal with the aftermath. [Sent at 10:30 a.m.]_

_To Captain: If they run around in the backyard, they'll tire themselves out by dinner time. [Sent at 10:32 a.m.]_

Maria gave him the soundest advice she could. She knew all they needed was to be able to work off all the sugar. Hopefully that would make it a little easier for Georg to manage.

She grabbed the last sheet in the 'to mark' pile. It was Gretl's addition worksheet. She smiled as she began to mark it.

The buzz came not too long after she had started.

_Captain: We can hope. It looks like we've decided to go into a toy shop. Max's idea. Sometimes I think he's my eighth child. [Sent at 10:36 a.m.]_

Maria laughed again. Max could be an overgrown child. He acted like it, though not in a bad way. He just had a childish spirit about him that made him incredibly fun to be around.

_To Captain: Good luck. [Sent at 10:39 a.m.]_

Maria smiled as she sent the last text before turning back to finish off marking Gretl's math worksheet. She was impressed with how well she had scored. She looked over to her pile of marking an realized there was nothing there. She must have marked everything. It wasn't even eleven. She was rather impressed with herself.

She packed away all her things and decided she would take Georg up on his offer to borrow a book.

On her way downstairs, she ran into Mrs. Schmidt.

"Maria, I thought you had gone into town with the group! I didn't think anyone was going to be here for lunch," she exclaimed. Maria smiled at the older woman.

"No, it's my day off. Don't worry too much about lunch. I'll probably just snack on something later," she said. She didn't want anyone to fret over her.

"Are you sure? I could tell the cook to prepare something for you," Mrs. Schmidt said.

"Oh no, I'm quite all right," Maria insisted. It would feel silly eating a meal alone at the large dinner table anyhow.

"If you're sure, dear," Mrs. Schmidt said, giving Maria a pat on the arm before walking in the opposite direction. Maria continued to her destination.

She made it to Georg's study and reached into the fake plant on the table next to the door. Her fingers found metal and she smiled. It was a smart hiding place, she thought, just not hidden enough for Max not to find it.

She slid the key into the door and opened it. She felt a little wary about intruding on Georg's personal space. _He said you could_, she reminded herself. Somehow, without him, the space seemed rather dark and empty.

Maria scanned the walls of books. It looked like everything was organized by genre. There was mystery, science fiction, non-fiction, and countless other genres that were spaced around the room. Georg was nothing if not organized, Maria reflected. She walked up to the biggest of the collections, his classic literature stash. The classics section nearly took up an entire book shelf.

She scanned over the titles, overwhelmed by the selection he had. Her eyes fell on the row of Charles Dickens novels. She had been meaning to read his works for a long time but had never gotten around to it. She pulled _A Tale of Two Cities_ off the shelf. She smiled at the book. The pages looked a little worn, as if it had been read numerous times. _Yes_, she decided, _reading will be a wonderful way to kill off some time._

She locked Georg's study back up and made her way back down the hall. It looked like a beautiful day outside, the perfect weather to read in

She walked out the back door and took in the bright sun that beamed down on her skin. It was a warm day, but not stiflingly so. There was a cool breeze that passed through the trees, making the leaves dance.

Maria made her way over the old gazebo she had seen many times while walking around the yard, but she had never actually gone inside of it. It had a rustic look to it. If she had to guess, she would say it had been there for over five decades. It didn't necessarily look worn down; it just had an older architectural look to it. It didn't really matter, Maria thought it was a beautiful addition to the yard regardless. It was as good a place as any to read.

She sat on one of the benches inside the glass structure and took note of how it was strategically placed. The trees surrounding the gazebo kept the sun from directly entering, but there was still a great view of the yard and the house. It was the perfect place to read, Maria decided.

She cracked open the book and started reading. She was engaged for a while, but her mind began to wander to the children. She hadn't expected to feel so alone without them. Their constant presence had kept her extremely busy, but now, without them there, it felt too quiet.

She pulled her phone from her pocket to check if there were any messages. There was nothing from Georg. There was a slight pang of disappointment in her chest, but she shook it off quickly. She should be enjoying her day off. She should be thrilled to have a chance to relax. She certainly should not be worried about the children, or their father for that matter. They were probably having a great time.

She tried to focus on the book but found herself putting an extreme amount of effort into actually concentrating. Every few paragraphs, her mind would wander. She would think about the children and if they had already been filled with enough sugar to make them run wild. She thought about Max and Elsa and if they were handling seven children in town all right. But most jarringly, her mind wandered to Georg.

It wasn't anything specific about Georg, her mind just conjured up the image of him in town, taking care of his seven children and trying to keep them under control. Or the way he looked that morning when the pink hue of the rising sun had struck his face and made him look almost immortal. It was the strangest thing. She didn't like where her mind was going with these distractions. Why was she even thinking of Georg at all?

She tried desperately to get her mind on track. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in the book. Her mind just couldn't focus. She let out a huff of air and pulled her phone out to check the time. She had let nearly three hours go by, and she had barley even made a dent in the book.

"Do you like it so far?" the voice made her head snap up. Georg was leaning against the door frame of the gazebo, arms crossed, and hair mussed as if he had been running his fingers through it several times. She suddenly felt self conscious wondering how long he had been standing there. Maria blinked at him. "The book. Are you enjoying the book?"

"Oh," she said looking down at the book in her hand. "Yes, it's very interesting."

"It's probably my favourite Dickens novel," he commented. He uncrossed his arms and moved into the gazebo, taking a seat on the bench opposite of her. Maria closed the book and took a good look at him. He looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes were more apparent, his shoulders were slumped, and there was a slight scowl on his face. She immediately knew something was off.

"How was the outing?" she asked.

"Hm?" he said looking up at her. He seemed to have been lost in thought. "Oh, right. It was fine. I was talked into buying two new dolls, a book, two new video games, and two pairs of headphones that cost a fortune. I think I'm getting soft in my old age."

Georg managed a weak smile, but it didn't meet his eyes. Something was bothering him, and Maria was curious about what it was. She didn't want to push him too far though; it wasn't her place to do so.

"Did Max buy everyone ice cream?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light. Georg sighed.

"An insanely unhealthy amount, yes. The children are running around the yard as we speak," he told her, turning his head. Maria followed his gaze. She could see the children in the distance chasing each other around, except for Liesl. She was sitting against one of the trees, her phone in hand.

"Well, you survived," she told him. He looked back and managed another weak smile in her direction before looking at his shoes. She noticed his fingers twitching on the bench beside him. Something was obviously agitating him. She hoped the children hadn't been the cause. But then again, she doubted it was the children. Georg carried so much love for them. She was sure the children couldn't have put him in such a foul mood.

Maria was at a loss of what to say. She didn't want to ask him outright what the problem was, but she was out of ideas as to how to keep the conversation going. She settled on observing him instead, desperately trying to search for answers in his body language.

His jaw was hard set, and his eyebrows were furrowed as he concentrated on his feet. There was an unreadable look in his eyes – something like a cross between pain and anger. It unnerved her a little. This was the look the stony masked Georg had often wore.

"Do you ever have days where guilt just creeps up on you and lingers in your mind?" he asked. Maria watched his face fall into a deeper frown as he spoke the words. He didn't meet her eyes but kept his gaze firmly on his shoes.

"I think everyone has days like that," she replied tentatively. She knew she needed to be delicate when he was in such a fragile state.

"I was watching them today and I just realized how much time I had lost. Liesl is nearly a woman. She'll be done school before I know it, and then she'll be gone. She won't need me anymore," he told her with a shuddering breath. Maria was taken aback. Since the storage closet, she hadn't seen him in such a vulnerable state. He was open, yes, and he showed more emotion than he had, but he had never become so vulnerable again. Maria's heart broke a little as she watched him.

"It doesn't mean she'll stop needing you," she told him. Georg huffed and shook his head.

"She stopped needing me the day I turned my back on them," he replied bitterly. Maria wanted to say something, anything, that would stop the pain forming in his eyes.

"You were grieving," was all she could come up with. She mentally smacked herself for pointing out the obvious. She wanted to say more. She knew she needed to say more. She felt the urge to make all of the guilt and self deprecation he was feeling go away.

"So were they, but it didn't matter to me. I was so broken up about losing her that I didn't even consider anyone else for a second, not even my own children," he said. Maria was at a loss for what to say. She doubted anything she had to say could ease his mind. "I missed birthdays and talent shows and tournaments. I missed five years of their lives. I don't even know Gretl or Marta because I didn't raise them."

"You were there. You saw them. You gave them a routine. You weren't completely absent," she told him. Georg looked up to meet her eyes, and Maria desperately wished he hadn't. The pain and sorrow she saw in his eyes was almost too much for her to bear.

"I was there physically. I wasn't really there though, not as a father," he said solemnly. "Did I ever tell you how she passed?"

Maria shook her head and felt her heart rate speed up. She had known that Agathe was sick, but she knew next to nothing else about the woman, besides the tidbits the children had shared with her. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle Georg telling her. She wasn't sure Georg would be able to handle telling her. She swallowed hard as she watched him open his mouth.

"She was diagnosed with cancer after Gretl was born," he started. "Breast cancer. They had run numerous tests on her, I don't know how they didn't catch it before. They wouldn't let me see Agathe after she gave birth. They told me there was some sort of complication. They just handed me this little bundle and left me there. In the moment, I couldn't bring myself to be too concerned. There was this beautiful baby girl in my arms that was my whole world. Agathe had complications with Kurt and Marta as well. They were usually minor, nothing to fret over. I figured this time wouldn't be any different."

Maria could feel tears well up in her eyes as Georg's voice began to crack.

"I wasn't in the room during the delivery. I had been in Vienna. The systems at the main office had crashed, and they had called me in a few days earlier to assess the damage. Gretl wasn't due for the next two weeks so I thought it would be fine. I jumped in my car as soon as Agathe had called. I wish I had been there. It feels like it was wasted time now," he continued. Maria swallowed again. Her throat felt thick with emotion.

"A nurse came to take Gretl away. I asked about Agathe and they said the doctor was still with her. I figured that if anything had gone seriously wrong, someone would tell me. So, I went to the waiting room. I think I was sitting there for about an hour before the doctor came out. At that point I began to feel a little bit nervous, but I assured myself that everything would work out, the damned fool I was. The doctor congratulated me. I was ecstatic at the time. I loved being a part of bringing a new life into the world. It felt like nothing could bring me down. Until," he choked on the last word. He cleared his throat. "Until the doctor asked me to sit down. He told me that Agathe had cancer and that it was terminal. I remember being so angry when he told me that it was a pure fluke that they hadn't caught it before. A rare oversight, he called it. I knew Agathe had been more tired during this pregnancy. She was always exhausted, but I just figured with it being the seventh time, it was taking its toll."

Maria could feel the tears running down her cheeks as Georg continued his story. She wiped at her eyes willing herself to stop. The last thing she needed was for Georg to see her cry. She needed to be strong, for him if not herself.

"I'm pretty sure I scared the doctor half to death. I was enraged. How did they not catch it beforehand? I didn't understand. He kept talking though, even while I was yelling at him. All I could see was red. He told me they estimated she had three to four months left. I couldn't believe it. Agathe, my darling Agathe, had just brought a new life into the world, and now she was about to lose hers? All because the doctors hadn't caught it in the first place?" he spat. Maria wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Why wouldn't they stop?

"Agathe was unreasonably calm about the whole thing. It was like it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to her. I think that made me angrier. I wanted her to scream, I wanted her to be as outraged as I was, I just wanted her to react. But she just sat there and watched as I cried. She waited until I calmed down before she spoke. I'll never forget what she said to me. She looked me in the eyes and said 'Georg, you need to think about the children. You can't leave them without a mother and a father.' But that's exactly what I did. I left my children parentless because I was too broken to pick up the pieces she had left behind," he said. Maria looked at Georg. He wasn't crying, but his body trembled a little as he stared out the glass of the gazebo at his children.

"For a long time, I didn't know how I was going to make it without her. We had been together for nearly twenty years. It was like half of me had died with her," he whispered. Maria's heart broke all over again. It broke for Agathe, who had been taken far too soon from the world. It broke for the seven children who had lost their mother long before most of them had even gotten to know her. Most of all, it broke for Georg who had lost the love of his life, and who had ultimately lost his heart.

Georg turned his head to look at Maria, his eyes widening in realization as he noticed her tears.

"I'm sorry. I, uh, didn't mean to go off like that," he said. Maria shook her head as she wiped at her tears.

"I'm glad you told me," she said, forcing a weak smile on her face.

"I don't think I've ever actually talked about it. I never could," he muttered. He looked down at his feet once again, a baffled look in his eyes.

"I think that means you're healing," Maria said softly. Georg looked up at her and fixed her with a weak smile of his own.

"I feel like it's a little late for that," he replied. Maria shook her head.

"Everyone heals at their own pace. Loss is never easy to handle," she said, looking down at her own feet. She felt a pang in her heart that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"It sounds like you speak from experience," he commented. He wasn't pushing a question, just an observation. Maria glanced at him. He had been so open and vulnerable with her. He had let her see a piece of him that she didn't believe most people saw. She figured the least she could do was share a piece of her.

"My parents died when I was six. Drunk driver. It wasn't easy," she muttered. Georg's expression softened.

"Maria, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. You know exactly how they must feel," he said, looking back to the children who were still running around the yard.

"I've learned that life is unexpected. Sometimes the things we love the most get taken away from us. But every experience brings us a choice. We can live in the loss, which I did for a long time. Or, we can carry the loss with us, not as something sad, but as a reminder that nothing lasts forever and we must appreciate what we have while we have it," she said. Georg turned to look at her again, his eyes scanning her face with intense eyes. Her chest felt like it was going to burst from the intensity of it.

"You're incredible," he breathed out. Maria's chest tightened at his words. She felt her face prickle with heat. She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "You are. You suffered a great loss at such a young age, and that tends to change people. A lot of the time, people go to a dark place. I did. But somehow you came out of it as a kind, caring, nurturing person. And what's more is that you have no idea how incredible you are."

Maria felt as if the breath had been robbed from her lungs. She couldn't remember a time when someone had spoken so kindly to her in such a genuine manner. It made the tears form in her eyes once again.

"Maria, I-."

"Maria! I missed you!" both adults turned their heads to watch Gretl run into the gazebo and launch herself into Maria's arms. Maria blinked back the tears in her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Oh, hello! Did you enjoy your time in town today?" Maria asked. Gretl nodded and beamed up at Maria.

"Father bought me a new doll. Do you want to see it?" she asked.

"Gretl, remember, it's Maria's day off," Georg said in a warning tone. Maria looked up at him.

"I don't mind, really," she said. Georg gave her a warm smile, the first smile that had reached his eyes since he had entered the gazebo.

"I'll go get it! Marta will want to show you hers too," Gretl squealed before hopping off the bench and rushing off. Maria and Georg both laughed lightly before looking at each other. A silence fell over them.

"I should probably go check on Max, anyways. I left him in a bit of a sugar coma on the sofa earlier," he said after a moment, rising from his seat. "I'll be right back out to watch the children though, if you want to go read some more."

"No, it's okay. I kind of missed them. I would like to spend a bit of time with them before dinner. I'm sure they have lots of tales about their adventures today," she told him.

"It's your day off, Maria, that means not working," Georg told her sternly. The smile on his face made it difficult to take him seriously.

"I've never considered your children as work," she replied. "I would love to talk to them. You've been with them for most of the day, on a sugar high even. I think maybe you're the one who should take a rest. "

"If you're certain. I don't want to take away your day off," he said cautiously. Maria smiled. She liked this thoughtful side of Georg she was getting acquainted with.

"I'm positive," she replied. Georg smiled.

"Thank you, Maria. For just now. I appreciate you listening. And I appreciate you sharing with me," he told her. He gave her a sad smile. It felt a little odd to walk away from such a heavy conversation. It was as if there was more to be said, but Maria didn't want to dwell on the pain. She knew it was good that they had both said their piece. It was nice that they were able to be so open with each other. Maria had never had that. She had never really talked about her parents' death to anyone before. It was a piece of herself she kept hidden from the rest of the world.

"Anytime, Captain," she replied. Georg nodded before beginning to walk out. He stopped at the door.

"Before I forget," he said turning towards her, "Elsa talked me into hosting a dinner party for a few friends next Friday. I know you asked for the day off, and I'm still fine with that. I'm sure the children will manage on their own for an evening. I just thought I would let you know."

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want me here to look after the children? I mean, I shouldn't be back too late anyways, so I could keep them occupied," she suggested. Georg smiled and shook his head.

"I have never met anyone as dedicated as you. I'm sure they'll be fine. I want you to have the day off. The whole day," he told her firmly. Maria smiled.

"Aye aye, Captain," she said as she saluted him. He eyed her for a moment, studying her carefully before fixing her with a full smile that brought his dimples out. He walked out of the gazebo, and Maria's eyes followed him into the house.

Once he was out of sight, she slumped against the glass and exhaled a shaky breath. She certainly hadn't expected that conversation when he walked into the gazebo.

Her mind was racing. He had been so open with her, it was perplexing. He had told her things she doubted he would tell most people, and while she was flattered, a part of her was fearful as well. The way he had looked at her had set her nerves on end. It was as if his eyes had been burning her.

She took another shaky breath. Why had he told her? Georg was a private man. He didn't offer information, especially intimate information, easily. In most of their conversation since the other night, their topics had been light, mostly about the children. Occasionally he would ask her questions about school or her views on things, but he had never brought up such a heavy topic.

She wondered why he had come to her in the first place. His best friend was inside and his… okay, she didn't exactly know what Elsa was to him, was also inside. He could have easily talked to one of them. She didn't understand what it was about her that made him feel safe to talk about such things. Not that she was complaining. She was glad Georg could open up; she just didn't know why he put so much trust into her.

She shook her head. Those were exactly the kind of thoughts she needed to avoid. She needed to avoid any thoughts of Georg in general that weren't of a professional capacity. He was still her employer and she was still his employee. Perhaps they had traveled into a friendly territory, but it didn't change the fact that their relationship was professional first and foremost.

Still, Maria couldn't ignore the little nagging voice in the deep corners of her mind that told her that she might have it all wrong. Maybe there was something more than just a professional relationship there. Maybe the way she felt around him wasn't anxiety at all. Maybe there was something more that she wasn't willing to confront.

If that was the case, Maria knew she was screwed.

* * *

**A/N: That went from 0 to 100 real quick. I really loved writing that last scene. I feel like it was a development for Georg, but also a development for Maria. There were some cute and fluffy moments in this chapter that I enjoyed writing.**

**This chapter was also a pain, though. I wrote about three vastly different versions of this, but they all felt wrong to me. That's why this chapter took me so long. I knew what I wanted for the next few chapters, but I needed a stepping stone to get there. I can honestly say that I whipped up this chapter in a matter of hours today. Seriously, I've been sitting here for six hours trying to get this thing done. I wouldn't say I'm completely happy about it, but it has us headed in the right direction.**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews again. Someone mentioned that they wanted to see some cute texts between these lovestruck fools. I live to appease the masses. I think I addressed a couple other questions from some other reviews (or at least I hope I did?)**

**Are you guys ready for things to get intense? I am. I'm really excited for the next chapter. It's filled with tension (and it's probably going to be monstrously long, oops).**

**With that being said, here's a friendly reminder that the rating is going to change from T to M (I won't reveal how soon, but in the near future). It won't be on the main page anymore, so if you're enjoying this weird little journey, please favourite and/or follow so you can keep reading. **

**Again, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

Georg was on edge. He had been for over a week at the prospect of what tonight's events held, and everyone could tell.

Agreeing to host a dinner party had been a ridiculous notion that Georg couldn't fathom. Why had he told Elsa yes? It was simple, really; Georg didn't see any way around it. She had cornered him in front of all his children and Max, the latter taking Elsa's side and pleading with Georg to do it. He had felt trapped. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument on the busy Salzburg streets.

So, Georg had agreed to host some of Elsa's friends in his home, and he had regretted the decision every day since. He hadn't hosted anything of the calibre since well before Agathe had gotten sick. Even then, he had detested having people come into his home for hours at a time to converse about trivial things such as the latest scandals.

His mood over the past week had been increasingly disagreeable, to say the least. He tried to keep himself in check, especially around the children, but it had been futile. He had only just snapped at Friedrich the other day for leaving his sweater on the floor of the sitting room. He had, of course, apologized later, but Georg was feeling immensely irritable.

He had started locking himself in his study for hours at a time, not wanting to see or speak to anyone in fear that he might have some irrational outburst in the midst of his agitated state. That had ended up putting a bit of a strain on his relationship with the children. It was no where near as tense as it once was in his home, but he could tell the children were being cautious with him.

A strain had been placed between Elsa and himself as well, not that it was a major change between them. Their relationship had been tense long before he agreed to a dinner party. It was just worse now. He felt a semblance of anger well up in his chest when he saw her, and he couldn't quite understand why. She had been planning the entire dinner party, he didn't even have to lift a finger. It was one night of his life. He had endured plenty of uncomfortable gatherings with Agathe, so why did he feel absurdly angry with Elsa now?

He assumed it was because with Agathe, he had been in love. He would have done anything to see a smile on her face. With Elsa, there was a mutual attraction, but he would never say he was in love with her. He liked her, yes, cared for her even. But he wouldn't say he loved her. Hell, he couldn't even make a commitment to an actual relationship with her.

Another person who had been facing the brute of his anger was Max. He didn't often deserve it, but he was always so annoyingly happy and quippy about everything that it had begun to drive Georg mad in the last week. He was not of the mindset to hear Max's jokes and sarcastic comments when he was truly dreading such an event.

Surprisingly, no one called him out on his poor behaviour. He knew the children wouldn't say anything to him out of fear that they would lose him again if they did. He felt extremely guilty about that fact. He didn't want them to fear him at all. He had worked so hard to get them to open themselves up to him, and now he felt as if he was ruining everything with his erratic moods.

Elsa would only fix him with a hard stare whenever he snapped, or she would ignore him completely. Max didn't speak up either. In fact, Georg was beginning to think Max liked watching him suffer. Or perhaps Max had learned better than to try and call Georg out when he was in a bad mood.

The person he had most expected to call him out on his behaviour, had stayed relatively silent. Maria had said nothing to him about his moods. Even when he had snapped at her for letting Gretl and Marta stay up late to finish a movie, she had only mumbled an apology and rectified it as quickly as possible.

However, he had noticed that she was checking in on him. It was subtle, but Georg knew what she was doing. She would claim she wanted to borrow a book while he was in his study and start a light conversation. It was obvious to Georg that her motives for coming to his study were not to borrow a book. She couldn't possibly have read each book in only a day, especially when she was with the children nearly all the time.

It was heartwarming to Georg that Maria cared enough to see if he was okay, even if she wasn't explicitly asking. In the moments that she did come to see him, he couldn't find himself being so angry. She was able to distract him from his brooding thoughts long enough that he was able to find a little peace in their conversations.

In return, Georg was patient with her. He avoided snapping at her again, and he tried to at least be somewhat sociable when she would come to see him. She was doing something very sweet by ignoring his beastly moments and trying to give him a distraction. The least he could do was not be a total grump with her.

Georg couldn't understand why she was being so nice to him. He felt that he didn't deserve it, especially after the way he had treated her when she first arrived. He knew he had redeemed himself somewhat since then, but he didn't believe it had been enough. But it was like she could see right through the mask of rage he wore. It was like she could see that he was struggling underneath his façade of indifference and anger.

He supposed her kindness could be due to the conversation they had in the gazebo. That was another reason he had been so abominable over the last week. He had been kicking himself for being so vulnerable. He had released so much baggage on to Maria that day, and he felt like a fool because of it. Every time he shut his eyes, he could see the tears that had streamed down her face and the pitiful look in her eyes. It was absurd. He had never in the five years since he lost his wife, spoken so earnestly about what had happened. Not to the children, not to Elsa, and not to Max.

But Maria had listened diligently. She hadn't stopped him. She hadn't given him the same robotic response he recieved from anyone who heard his wife had passed away. He had been quite surprised when she had confessed that her parents had died when she had been rather young. He had felt like a fool in the moment, going on like he had been the only person in the world to experience loss.

He was shocked that she had been open enough to share that piece of information with him. She had given himself a piece of herself after he had given her a piece of him. It was a trust he hadn't experience in a very long time.

The more he thought about it, the more he admired Maria. The words she had spoken to him about living with loss had touched his heart in a way that he hadn't felt in years. She herself had experienced great loss, and yet, she was stronger because of it. It only made Georg feel more thankful that Maria had come into his life. She was able to talk to him in a way that made him feel heard, and she was incredibly easy to talk to.

He trusted her with such great intensity that it scared him. He knew she would probably leave at the end of the summer and while that was still roughly two months away, he wasn't sure what he would do without her. She was just so damn lively and admirable. She was able to see right through him, and that scared him most of all. He hadn't let anyone in enough to really see him in so long that he wasn't sure if he could just let her out.

And he enjoyed her company. He felt more alive in her company. She was so refreshing. Her views, her words, her spirit were all just so intoxicating to him. He just liked getting to know her. He felt like he was a better version of himself when she was around to keep him level-headed, and he was fearful of that fact. He couldn't explain why her presence seemed to keep him calm or why he felt just a little more alone in the world when she wasn't around.

But of course, it was her day off on the day of the dinner party. Not that he should care, he reminded himself, she deserved the day off. She worked extremely hard and deserved some time to herself. But he couldn't help the lingering feeling of loss that clung to him when he knew she wasn't going to be around that day.

"Georg," he heard a voice call. He turned his head from the lake, which he had been staring at for the better part of an hour, to find Elsa standing at the door.

"Yes, Elsa?" he replied, trying to keep his voice from seething with irritation. He just wanted to be by himself for a while before all hell broke loose under his roof.

"The guests will be here in about an hour," she told him in a cool tone. His hand gripped the railing of the terrace as he fought off an exasperated sigh.

"Sounds good," he said, turning his head back to watch the lake. He heard the unmistakeable click of her heels coming closer. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to muster all the neutrality he could.

"Are you all right?" She asked. He opened his eyes when he felt her place a hand on his back, rubbing the space between his shoulders. He used to like when she would do that to him. It had once been able to relax him. Now, it only made his skin crawl. He wondered why that was.

"Yes, I'm fine," he lied. He turned to face her, subtly shaking her hand off from his body. He felt guilt creep into the back of his mind. He had been seeing Elsa for two years, he shouldn't be feeling like her presence was unwanted.

"You've just been a little off all week," she commented lightly. Georg cursed under his breath. Now she was going to bring his foul moods up?

"I suppose I've been busy. With work," he told her. It wasn't a complete lie. He _had_ been working somewhat while he was in his study. Zeller's company had somehow stolen their new marketing tactic before they had even gotten it up and running. It had just been another factor to his increasingly bad mood.

"I understand that, Georg, but you've been quite unpleasant," she told him. Georg sighed. Was she looking to pick a fight?

"I'm sorry. I haven't been feeling very sociable this week," he said. It was the truth; he hadn't really felt like socializing in the past week. He supposed part of it was because he was mentally preparing himself for tonight in his own solitude. A big dinner party surrounded by strangers who liked nothing more than a bit of gossip was surely going to deplete his energy.

"Well, not sociable with Max or I at least," she muttered as she looked out to the lake. Georg turned his gaze towards her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You know exactly what it means. It's been cold stares and silence for Max and me, but as soon as Maria comes into the room, well, suddenly you know how to form more than one syllable," she said bitterly. Georg's eyebrows shot up. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was by Elsa's claim. He knew she was wary of Maria by the way she watched her like a hawk.

"Are you seriously suggesting this again?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. He was tired of accusations when it came to his and Maria's relationship. They had become friends and there was nothing more to it, he told himself.

"I just don't understand it, Georg. You spend more time with her than you do with your children," she stated. Georg huffed. Did he? He certainly didn't think so. She just happened to be present when he was with the children. It was her job, after all.

"I do not."

"Really? So, that isn't her who you're talking to in your study for an hour every evening?" she asked. Georg froze. Yes, he supposed that Maria did often come into his study after most of the children had gone off to bed. And he did suppose that they talked for a while each evening, but it was nothing like that! She was checking up on him, and he was indulging her. It was the polite thing to do when she went out of her way to make sure he was okay. Did Elsa expect him to just turn Maria away for her kindness?

"I don't want to have this conversation with you right now, Elsa. I need to go get changed," he muttered. He turned and walked towards the door, not wanting the conversation to go any further. If she continued to berate him about such a ridiculous notion, he wouldn't even make it to the dinner table.

The audacity of that woman. Accusing him of something as silly as an unsavoury relationship with his children's governess was childish. He attempted to calm his racing pulse as he entered through the back door of his home. He needed to at least seem like he was okay with what was about to take place that night. It wouldn't do to act completely irrational in front of a large group of people.

He was so focused on controlling his breathing that he nearly missed the scene unfolding in front of him as he walked through the foyer.

"I'm sure Georg wouldn't mind," Max's voice rang clear in Georg's ears. He saw Max standing in front of Maria. Odd, Georg thought, he hadn't expected her back quite so soon. In fact, he had even encouraged her to take the night off. If he couldn't save himself from the horrors of the dinner party, he could at least try and keep Maria from having to experience it.

"What wouldn't I mind, Max?" Georg asked, walking up beside his friend. Max turned towards Georg, a smile on his lips.

"That Maria join the dinner party," Max said. Georg paused and looked at Maria. It looked as if she had just come through the door when Max found her. Did she really want to come to the dinner party? Did he really want her to come to the dinner party? Of course, he had no issues with her being there, that is, if she wanted to be there. She was a bright young woman and truthfully, he would like to have someone else there who he knew would understand his views on things. It would be nice to have an ally at the table.

But could he put her through that? He wasn't sure exactly who all made it onto the guest list. Elsa had told him very few details, not that he asked. He knew a majority of the people attending would be friends of Elsa's, and he wasn't sure how Maria would fit into that society. They gossiped and threw on masks of upper-class society, which he assumed, was not Maria's forte. Maria was genuine and kind and her views on the world were not like theirs. She hadn't been born into wealth or raised with the expectations of someone like Elsa might have been raised with. He didn't want to push her into an uncomfortable situation.

Then again, for his own selfish reasons, he believed that he might benefit from her presence. She had the most obscure ability to keep him grounded with a single look. Perhaps if she did attend dinner, there was less of a chance of him making some outrageous outburst.

"You can if you want to," he told her after a moment. She glanced up at him, a weak smile on her lips. He couldn't quite read her eyes. He scanned her face for a clue that she didn't want to attend, but he found his search to come up inconclusive.

"I don't know that I have anything appropriate to wear," she replied. Georg gave her a smile. She really didn't need to worry about what to wear. She didn't have to impress anyone; she would do that and more with her vibrant personality.

"I'm sure anything would be fine," he told her.

"Are you sure? I just don't want to impose-," Georg cut her off quickly. He wouldn't hear of it. She could never impose in his mind.

"You wouldn't be imposing," he told her softly. He could feel Max's eyes burning into the side of his face with a curious gaze. He ignored Max completely, not enjoying the scrutiny of his gaze.

"Yes, Maria, you can be my dinner date," Max interjected. Georg narrowed his eyes in Max's direction, but Max only shrugged.

"Dinner is at eight," Georg informed her. Maria nodded, a thoughtful gleam forming in her eyes.

"Well that means I could sit with the children for their dinner, if that's okay with you," she suggested. Georg fought off the urge to roll his eyes as a fond smile spread across his face. She really was dedicated to the children.

"I do believe it is still your day off," he pointed out.

"Oh, but I've missed the children terribly. I really wouldn't mind sitting with them while they eat," Maria insisted.

"If you really want to, of course you can," Georg replied. Maria beamed up at Georg and he felt a swell in his heart at the smile she was giving him.

"Is that really what you're going to wear to dinner?" Max asked. Georg looked down at the grey polo and jeans he was wearing.

"No. I suppose I should change," he replied. Max nodded.

"I think that's a good idea," Max said. Georg gave one last smile to Maria and began to head up the stairs towards his room.

Well, he would have an ally at the table after all. Max would have made a terrible ally. He liked gossip as much as the next socialite, and the thought made Georg groan as he entered his room.

He went to his closet and picked out an appropriate dark grey suit. It would have to do, he decided. It almost felt strange changing into the suit. He had gotten used to a much more laid-back look over the past weeks.

He slipped into the clothes and made his way to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection, noting the dark circles that were ever present under his eyes. He knew he hadn't been sleeping all that well; however, he didn't want to think about why. The dreams that plagued him were easier to deal with when they weren't thought about, a realization he had come to many weeks ago.

He began to comb back his hair while trying to keep himself put together. He knew he needed to be on his best behaviour. He also knew that the way he had left Elsa earlier would earn him some sort of reprimanding later, but he couldn't focus on that now. If she needed to berate him for his action, let it be when he could finally breathe again.

Satisfied that his hair was as tamed as it was going to be, Georg made his way out of the bathroom. He glanced at his watch to check the time. He had about a half hour before he had to place his mask of politeness on to greet the guests. He inwardly groaned before slipping his phone in his pocket and making his way out of the room. Perhaps he and Max could have a drink before the damn thing commenced.

As he shut his bedroom door behind him, he heard music from down the hall. He made his way down the hall, his ears perking up at what he believed to be the sounds of his children singing. A smile formed on his face at the thought. He hadn't really heard them sing since the day he returned from Vienna. His heart fell a little at the thought. Perhaps they believed he was still against them singing and being musically inclined. Well, he'd have to rectify that, he thought.

He got closer to the door of one of the girls' rooms and peered in through the crack in the door. There were his seven children dancing around the room singing to a song he didn't recognize. He assumed it was a newer song, given its poppy beat. He couldn't care less, he just enjoyed watching his children being so happy and carefree. His heart dropped in his chest as he realized they weren't entirely that carefree with him. But he had no one to blame but himself.

There was one voice he couldn't quite recognize. It didn't sound of that of a child. No, it could have belonged to a professional singer in his opinion. He wasn't entirely shocked to find Maria standing off to the side singing along with them. Of course, she would have the voice of an angel. It was fitting, he reflected, as she was somewhat of an angel to his family.

He watched the scene unfold in front of him as they sang, and he felt his heart fill with pride and joy as he looked upon all eight of them. His eyes, however, kept in the direction of one person. The way Maria was smiling, the way her eyes lit up as she watched his children give an enthusiastic performance, it was utterly enchanting. He briefly felt his heart stutter in his chest as she hit a particularly high note.

A smile formed on his face as he watched the love in her eyes as she watched his children. In that moment, he knew she truly loved them. It was humbling to see how she could give herself so wholly to them. She cared for them beyond the duties of a governess, and that struck a chord within him so deeply that he was overwhelmed with emotion.

He thought back to the conversation they had in the gazebo when he told her she didn't know just how incredible she was. He stood by that. She was incredible in the way she interacted with his children, in the way she was wise beyond her years, in the way she had suffered so greatly but hadn't let it change her. There were several qualities that came to mind when he thought about what made Maria so extraordinarily… Maria.

Above all, she was kind and selfless. She had so much good within her that it scared Georg. She was far too good to have been treated so poorly when she had first arrived at his home. She was far too good compared to him.

He continued to watch as he leaned against the doorframe. She was able to amaze him just doing the simplest things. In that moment, he noticed a shift within himself. Here he was, standing at the door of his children's bedroom with his children dancing and singing and a crowd of guests about to burst through his door, and yet, he was thinking about her. He was just looking at her. It was as if everything else had melted away and all that was left was _her_.

Georg took in a shuddering breath upon this realization. Could it be that he had gained feelings for her? Were the dreams more than just a physical attraction? Had Elsa and Max noticed signs in his behaviour before he had?

His head began to spin as he gripped the doorframe to keep himself upright. It couldn't be. He couldn't have feelings for his children's governess. The notion was absurd – hadn't he told both Elsa and Max the very same thing? Ant yet, here he was, watching Maria with an admiration running so deep within his veins, it had to be true.

All the signs pointed to the confirmation of this. A look from her could increase his heart rate. He trusted her more than he could remember trusting anyone since Agathe. Hell, he had even told her about Agathe, something he had troubles talking about vaguely with anyone else.

He knew she was attractive. He had known since the moments he had laid eyes on her at the nightclub. But he knew it ran deeper than a physical attraction. Everything began to make sense to him now. The dreams, the way she could knock the breath from his lungs, the way he worked just a little harder than necessary to see a smile on her face.

He knew he had feelings, which scared him like hell. He wasn't sure he was even capable to have feelings for someone like that again. He had closed himself off for so long that it was jarring to him that somehow Maria had gotten through to him. It frightened him.

He feared that she didn't feel the same way, but most of all, he feared that she did. She would be leaving at the end of the summer to teach somewhere and begin a new life. He wouldn't want to hold her back from that, not that he was likely to. He couldn't just outright admit his newly discovered feelings, could he? She was so young, so innocent, he couldn't just drop something like that on her.

And yet, as he watched her picked up his youngest daughter and gather her into his arms, he had the overwhelming urge to walk right into the room and tell her exactly what he was feeling in the moment.

But he couldn't. It wouldn't be right. His feelings weren't right. He couldn't be ready to _feel_ like that about someone else. No, he would bury his feelings and pray to god that it was a fleeting attraction. He couldn't possibly have those feelings for her. She cared for his children, she was a valued friend, but it couldn't go beyond that.

He shook himself from his inner monologue as he heard the last note of the song ring in the air. His children all smiled at each other and then up at Maria, who only smiled back with bright eyes. Georg's hands acted on their own accord as he heard himself clap.

"Father!" Gretl cried out. Maria let the little girl down and she rushed to her father's side to hug at his leg. Georg smiled at his children.

"That was very well done," he said, surveying each of his children with barely contained glee. His eyes then found Maria's. "I'm very much impressed."

"They're your children, Captain," she told him, a flush rising to her cheeks. There was another thing he adored, the way he could make her blush. He stopped the thought in its tracks as he let out a breathy laugh.

"I'm impressed by you too. You sing exceptionally well," he said. The hue in her cheeks got darker and Georg couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips. _Stop_, he told himself, _you need to get a grip. _

"Thank you," she said, giving him a bashful smile before looking at the ground.

"Father, are we going to see your guests?" Marta asked. Georg stilled. In truth, he wasn't sure he wanted his children exposed to so many people, especially if he didn't know them.

"Not tonight, sweetheart," he told her while running a hand over Gretl's hair. The children frowned. "Maybe some other time. I'll come and say goodnight to you all later though."

The children nodded in his direction, the older ones mustering small smiles on their faces. He knew his children weren't thrilled at the idea of having a night with him taken away from them, especially because he had been so distant the past week, but he was determined to make it up to them in due time, when he wasn't feeling so irritated.

"I have to head downstairs now, but I'll see you all soon, okay? And take it easy on Maria during dinner, it's still her day off," he told them. He snuck a glance at her to find her smiling in his direction. The smile made him feel slightly breathless. _You really have to stop acting like a schoolboy_, he told himself firmly.

He turned to walk out the door, feeling oddly enough in a much better mood than he had only a half hour ago. He clung to the idea that the children had done wonders to cheer him up, and not a certain someone else.

* * *

Georg would later be able to recall this night as one of the worst nights of his life. Of course, it couldn't hold a candle to when he found out Agathe was sick, or when he lost Agathe, nor could he compare it to the night when he lost his mother when he was only ten years old. However, tonight was one that could be thrown up there with some of the worst experiences he'd had in a very long time.

From the very moment that guests started arriving, he knew he wasn't going to have a pleasant time. He knew very few of the party of ten, and some of those that he did know, he wasn't very happy to host them in him home.

Of all people, Elsa had invited Hans Zeller, who had just happened to be in Salzburg at the time. The reason for his invitation was beyond Georg. He hadn't even known that Elsa knew Zeller, let alone knew him well enough to invite him to a dinner party. In any case, he was sure that Elsa at least knew how Georg felt about him. Georg had made it very clear on several occasions that Zeller was a nuisance to him and his business, and yet Elsa seemed to have disregarded that entirely.

Zeller's presence was enough cause for Georg to start drinking rather early in the evening. They had just over two hours to kill until dinner would be served. Georg rather detested dinner being so late in the evening, but that was the way it was per Elsa's request. In the time between the guests arriving and dinner, Georg decided the best course of action was to drink, something he would come to regret later on.

Another guest Georg didn't care for was a gentleman by the name of Elias Schultz, a man who was a few years Georg's junior and one of the most condescending, womanizing men Georg had ever met. He had met Elias two times prior to dinner. Once at a dinner with Agathe, in which Elias leered at her all night, and the second just after Agathe had died, when the man had the audacity to give his sympathies while Georg was trying to drink away his sorrows at a bar.

Georg had heard plenty of tales about Elias since then, most of them involving a different woman he had left heartbroken. Georg was rather surprised that Elsa knew him as well. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so shocked, they did run in the same circles after all.

The only guests Georg knew who didn't make his blood boil were the Ebberfelds, a lovely older couple who lived not five miles from Georg. He had known them for just over ten years as they often used to be invited over to dine with himself and Agathe. They were very fond of Agathe and the children, and they were a charming pair. They had berated Georg on not keeping in touch for the last few years, claiming they missed seeing not only the children, but him as well. The sentiment warmed Georg's heart. Perhaps he would not be as alone as he believed himself to be earlier.

The other guest consisted of three other couples roughly around Georg's age. The introductions had been brief and conducted by Elsa. After about his third whiskey, Georg couldn't quite recall their names.

All the guests were invited into one of the larger sitting rooms before dinner, in which they all were able to drink and catch up and catch up for a lengthy amount of time before dinner. Or in Georg's case, drink and seethe quietly.

Elsa had sat herself beside Georg, keeping a hand on his arm at all times. It made Georg slightly uncomfortable, but what was he to do in front of a crowd of people? He had said he was going to be on his best behaviour, and he was desperately trying to cling on to that promise.

"So, Georg," the sound of his name brought Georg's eyes up from his drink. He felt the blood begin to boil in his veins as he saw the speaker. Of course, it was Zeller. "How's business?"

"Business is fine, as usual. And you?" he asked, feigning a polite smile. Zeller shrugged and laughed lightly. Georg couldn't help but notice just how weaselly the man looked. Though, he thought, it was fitting.

"I have no complaints. We've already smashed our goal for the next quarter," Zeller said. Georg fought off a scowl.

"Really? You'll have to tell me how you came up with your new marketing strategy," Georg said lightly. He knew exactly how Zeller had gotten his idea. The little rat had stolen it from his department, Georg just didn't know how.

"Perhaps I will," Zeller commented. Georg tried desperately not to roll his eyes. He settled on taking another sip of his whiskey instead.

"What is it you do again, Georg?" Elias asked. Georg fought off another scowl. Elias and Zeller in the same room was like a perfect mixture of torture.

"I run a small shipping company based in Vienna. We export goods. We have two main docks. One is near Venice, and one is near Schillig," he replied simply.

"Sounds like a good business to get into at the present time," Elias said. Georg nodded.

"Yes, well it's been quite profitable," Georg said.

"Very profitable, indeed! I'm opening a new dock in Bremerhaven next month," Zeller commented with a brisk laugh. Georg inwardly groaned. Zeller turned to Elias and began giving him an in-depth review of his quarterly numbers, highlighting just how profitable it was. Georg turned his head to scan the rest of the people in the room, in part trying to distract himself from Zeller's business talk. A majority of the guests had come in couples and were engrossed in separate conversations amongst themselves. Max was speaking to one of the couples, Georg believed they were the Meyers, about his newest business prospect.

Georg felt a tap on his arm. He turned towards Elsa as she leaned in close to his ear.

"Max said you invited Maria?" she questioned. Georg shrugged as nonchalantly as he could.

"Max invited her, I just said it was fine. I don't see any harm in her coming to join dinner," Georg said neutrally. He hoped Elsa wasn't about to throw anymore accusations his way. He didn't want a fight to ensue, especially in front of a group of Elsa's friends.

"That's fine. I'll seat her beside Max and Elias," she said with a shrug. Georg stilled; his glass poised halfway to his lips before he lowered it towards his lap. Elsa knew as well as Georg what Elias was. In fact, she had been the main source to Georg of most of his scandals. Elsa wanted to put Maria beside some womanizing snake? The thought made Georg's stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Georg asked carefully.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be a good idea?" she asked, a challenge clear in her eyes. So, she was baiting him. Georg groaned inwardly. Perhaps he shouldn't have allowed Maria to come to dinner after all.

Speaking of Maria, she chose that moment to enter the sitting room. Georg looked up towards the door and felt a small smile spread across his face. She had chosen to wear the blue dress she had worn that first night she had come into his employ. It suited her extremely well. She hadn't overdone it for a simple dinner party. In fact, Georg thought she looked perfect.

"And who is this young lady?" Elias asked as Maria stood in the doorway. Georg noticed the other guests stop their chattering and look in Maria's direction as well. Georg also noticed the way Elias's eyes scanned Maria from head to toe, and Georg did not like it. He chose to look at Maria instead, before he said something he would regret.

"This is Maria. She's my children's governess. She'll be joining us for dinner," Georg introduced her quickly, his eyes never leaving her face. Maria gave a shy smile before walking over to a vacant chair next to Max that sat across from Georg. He gave her what he hoped to be an encouraging smile and was delighted when she smiled in return.

"So, you're the woman who has been taming Georg's children? I've heard it's been quite a struggle to keep a governess around, isn't that right, Georg?" Elias asked, his eyes staying on Maria. Georg forced a smile on his face.

"It has been, but Maria's done wonders with the children," he commented, shooting another smile in Maria's direction. She shot him a thankful look.

"You'll have to tell me what your secret is," Elias said to Maria. Georg narrowed his eyes when she looked over at Elias and gave him a small smile.

"It's not difficult. They really are charming children, once you get to know them," Maria said. Georg felt overwhelming emotion come over him. The way she spoke about his children was endearing.

"Aren't most governesses a bit older? I always pictured them as old crotchety women," one of the other men commented. Georg thought his name might have been Ben Fischer, or something of that nature. He couldn't quite be sure.

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I didn't know that governesses were still used," Maria said with a light laugh. "But I saw an application online and gave it a shot. I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity."

"Yes, she's been a marvelous addition," Max said. "And she's able to put up with Georg, which is the true job."

Georg glared in Max's direction, but Max only shot him a playful smile back.

"Sir, dinner is ready," Franz said from the doorway. Georg gave a curt nod.

"Thank you, Franz," he told the man. He looked to the rest of the group. "Shall we?"

The group of fourteen began to walk out of the sitting room. Georg, with Elsa beside him, led them towards the dining room whilst the majority of the group commented on how lovely Georg's home was.

Franz and Mrs. Schmidt had outdone themselves with the setup. The best china had been set out as well as Agathe's favourite crystal wine classes and blue embroidered napkins. Georg had thought it might have hurt seeing her favourite things set out in front of him, but he couldn't feel much heaviness in his chest. There was a brief feeling of loss for what used to be, but nothing more than that.

Elsa had taken it upon herself to write out little cards of where each person was to be seated. The only spot that was left open was where Georg believed Maria was supposed to sit. He was thankful that she was near his side of the table. At least then he could make sure Elias didn't try anything.

Georg took his seat, with Elsa and Max on either side of him. He looked at the roast that the cook had prepared, and he realized that maybe dinner wouldn't be so bad. They would eat a fantastic meal prepared by his cook, make light conversation, then people would begin to filter out of his house. Maybe Georg had exaggerated how uncomfortable the whole thing would be. Maybe it would be okay.

Georg soon realized he was very wrong in his new hopes.

Dinner started off well enough. There was light conversation all around the table. Max and Elsa made comments on how good the food was. The Ebberfelds asked about Georg's children, and another couple Georg didn't know very well, the Meyers, reminisced about when their children were young. So far, it was an easy dinner.

However, Georg noticed rather quickly how Elias seemed to monopolize most of Maria's time. They seemed to be in their own world. It would appear that every few minutes, Elias would say something to make Maria throw her head back in carefree laughter. Georg could feel his blood boiling. He supposed Elias could be charming, and he wasn't a terrible looking man, but he wasn't a good man and Georg wasn't about to let Maria be fooled by Elias's surface level charms.

"Elias how is that girl you've been seeing. Mary or Maybelle… I'm sorry I can't quite recall her name," Georg spoke up, using a bit of information Elsa had told him a couple weeks back. He felt Elsa's eyes staring curiously at him, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"I think you're thinking of Margret. She had to go back to the UK, so ultimately we had to end things," he replied. Georg saw he had the audacity to look at Maria beside him and give her a smile. Georg narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the way Elias continued to look at Maria, like she was some sort of consolation prize. It made his skin crawl.

"Are you still living in Salzburg?" Elsa asked lightly, giving Georg another pointed look. Georg was far too busy watching Maria for any signs of her attraction to Elias. So far, she only looked to be poised with politeness. He hoped it stayed that way, for her sake.

"Oh yes. Although, I have thought about moving to Vienna. I've always preferred the restaurants there," Elias replied.

"Maria, aren't you moving back to Vienna once the summer is over?" Elsa asked. Georg turned towards her and narrowed his eyes. It would appear Elsa was trying to set Maria and Elias up. It was low, even for Elsa, considering Elias's notorious reputation as a playboy. Did Elsa really want to watch Maria fall into the clutches of such and unworthy man?

"I've thought about it. It depends where I get a job," she said, taking a sip of her water. Georg let himself relax a little. There was no set plan for Maria. Perhaps she would even stay in Salzburg. Georg could try and acquire her a job at one of the schools. Yes, Georg decided, he would look into it as soon as possible.

"Teaching, right?" Elias asked.

"Yes, I just finished my degree earlier this year," she replied. Elias smiled at her and Georg fought off an exasperated sigh. There was a look in Elias's eyes that Georg didn't trust one bit.

"Well, if you live in Vienna, maybe we'll run into each other," Elias told her. Georg groaned inwardly. The thought was enough to leave his stomach unsettled.

"Yes, maybe," she replied.

"Wouldn't that be nice," Elsa commented. Georg took a bite of his roast and tried to calm his seething nerves. He didn't like talking so far ahead in the future where Maria would no longer be around. It made him feel extremely unnerved. Though, he supposed it shouldn't upset him as it did. It was inevitable for her to leave. Even if she did stay in Salzburg, he wasn't certain he would see her very much, or even at all.

Georg took a sip of his wine, hoping it would settle him a little. But when he looked back towards Maria and saw Elias whispering in her ear, he felt more uneasy than before.

"Georg, maybe you should slow down with the drinking," he heard Max mutter near his ear.

"Why? I haven't had that much," Georg replied, keeping his eye on Maria.

"You've already had five glasses of whiskey before dinner. And your face is getting all red. The last thing you need is to have an outburst," Max said quietly. Georg looked over to his friend, forcing a weak smile on his face.

"I'm fine, Max," he replied. Max raised an eyebrow.

"Tell that to the jealous look on your face," Max replied. Georg froze and glanced towards Elsa. Luckily, she was engaged in a conversation with Zeller and the Meyers on her left and hadn't caught Max's words.

"Max, I'm not-."

"Save it. Just try and control yourself, please," Max said. Georg saw the knowing look in Max's eyes and wondered just how long Max had been able to see right through him. Perhaps Max had known long before Georg had.

Georg went back to eating his meal quietly. He kept his gaze rooted to his dinner, hoping to just make it through. Perhaps if he didn't look at Elias leering at Maria, he would be able to finish his dinner without losing his nerves. He began thinking of ways to get everyone out of his house as fast as possible. Maybe he could feign illness. He could claim a headache.

He really just wanted a few moments of peace, and most of all he wanted Elias gone. The way he kept whispering in Maria's ear was sickening. He knew the only thing on Elias's mind was how to bed her the quickest, and Georg felt ill at just the thought of it.

"You know, there's this really nice bar in Salzburg that I could take you to. I think you'd enjoy it," Georg heard Elias say to Maria. His utensils froze midair in his hands as he felt the blood begin to boil once again.

"I could take you tonight, if your boss can spare you," he said, looking in Georg's direction. Georg glanced up, not even trying to put on a polite smile. Was that snake really looking for Georg's permission to take Maria out on the town for god knows how long?

"I think Maria better stay here. She typically puts the children to bed," Georg said as neutrally as he could.

"I thought it was my day off," she said. He knew she was saying it in good nature by the way she let out a little chuckle, but Georg found he was too outraged to go along with it.

"Yes, well, the day is over," he muttered, taking another sip of wine. He saw Max visibly tense up beside him and Elsa tried to get his attention by placing a hand on his arm.

"Oh, come on, Georg, you can spare her for a night. I'll take care of her, I promise," Elias cooed. Georg shook his head.

"I've said no, that's my final word on it," he replied before draining his wine glass.

"Georg, you aren't her father, surely it would be fine for her to go out for a night," Elsa said from beside him, mustering a light laugh to try and dispel the tension. It didn't work.

"I'm not her father, but I'm her employer, her job is to look after my children. That's a full-time commitment. They might need her," he lied. He didn't know why he was fighting it. Everyone at the table had gone silent and was now looking between Georg and Elias. He knew he really had no justification, but he would be damned if he was going to let Elias take Maria anywhere to do anything unsavoury.

"Be reasonable, Georg. No harm will come to her," Elias quipped. Georg felt as if he were at the end of his rope as his skin began to prickle with heat.

"With your track record, I'm not sure about that," Georg muttered bitterly.

"Georg!" Elsa exclaimed from his side. He ignored her and kept his eyes locked on Elias's.

"I assure you, anything that I've done in the past is staying in the past," Elias said. Georg scoffed. What a likely story.

"Really? Why don't I believe you?" Georg asked. He could feel the tension building in the room. Twelve eyes were focused on him, but he kept his gaze firmly on Elias, as if challenging him to continue.

"Georg, maybe you should stop," Max muttered next to him. Georg ignored him and kept a death glare on Elias.

"Georg, really, it's unfair of you to hold my past mistakes against me. Besides, you haven't even asked the young lady what she wants," Elias replied evenly. Georg looked to Maria and saw her eyes downcast at her hands in her lap.

"I won't have you gallivanting around the town with my governess. That's all I have to say on the matter," Georg said firmly. His eyes were drawn back to Maria as she stood.

"Would you excuse me, please?" she said to the table. She received sympathetic nods. Maria cast a last look in Georg's direction and Georg's heart stopped. The hurt in her eyes was too much for him to bear. He knew he had made a mistake. He shouldn't have spoken for her, but the idea of her going off with the likes of Elias was sickening. He felt himself being torn down the middle with regret for upsetting Maria and anger towards Elias.

"I think it's time for us to get going. We told the sitter we'd be home soon," Mr. Meyer said. Others in the party awkwardly began to make their excuses as well as they began to get up from the table. Georg could barely hear them over the pounding of his own heart in his ears. He briefly heard Zeller's claim of needing to drive back to Vienna for a _very important meeting_ in the morning.

He felt frozen in time as he contemplated what had just happened and the outburst he had just made. Hadn't he told himself he was going to be on his best behaviour for dinner? Well, that had gone straight to hell rather quickly. He was vaguely aware of Elsa getting up from beside him to walk the guests out.

"Elias, I'm so sorry, he's not usually like this," he could hear her say to Elias.

"It's fine, Elsa. I understand. I'll call you tomorrow," Elias said. There was no anger in his voice, and that made Georg more enraged. Elias obviously didn't understand what a self centered, womanizing rat he was, and why he needed to be kept far, far away from Maria's innocence.

Georg could see all the guests walking out as he stayed still in his seat, staring intently at his wine glass.

"Well, Georg," he heard Max mutter from beside him as the last of the guests left the room. "I don't think that could have gone much worse. Of course, unless you had planned to beat the man to a pulp."

Georg swallowed hard as he tried to keep his composure. He knew Max was right. The way he had acted was absurd. But could he be blamed? He didn't want Maria to get hurt by such a weasel who was undeserving of her. But ultimately, Georg feared that he had done much more damage.

"Really, did you need to cause such a scene? The man just wanted to take Maria out for drinks," Max spoke. Georg groaned.

"Max, you know him. That wouldn't have been all it was. I'm sorry if I don't like the idea of one of my employees running wild around the town at all hours of the night," Georg muttered as his fingers reached out to touch the crystal of his glass absentmindedly. Max scoffed.

"I doubt you would have had a problem with it if it were Mrs. Schmidt, or Franz for that matter," Max replied. Georg supposed that Max did have a point in that regard. He wouldn't have lifted a finger if Franz wanted to run wild around the town for a night.

"She's responsible for my children. It's different when children are involved," he argued weakly.

"You keep telling yourself that. You completely embarrassed Maria tonight, on her day off. Most of all, you embarrassed Elsa, and she's not one to just let something like that go," Max said. Georg sighed. He knew Max was right. Georg was sure to be hearing about it from Elsa, he just wasn't sure when.

"I know that, Max. I feel awful," Georg replied. A blanket of silence fell over the dining room as Max watched him skeptically. Georg avoided Max's gaze, fearing the disappointed look he would receive from his friend. Instead, Georg focused on the stem of his wine glass, rolling it between his thumb and pointer finger in an attempt to distract himself.

"Are you in love with her?" Max asked, breaking the silence. Georg snapped his head up and turned towards Max with bewildered eyes.

"With who?" he asked. He was pretty sure he knew who Max was referring to, but he didn't want to confront the question. He briefly wished for Max to be talking about Elsa. Somehow, Georg believed that would be the easier question to answer.

"Maria. Are you in love with Maria?" he asked simply. Georg groaned. No, Max would not be asking the simpler question.

"You're being ridiculous," Georg muttered weakly.

"Am I? because it seems that you're being the ridiculous one right now. You've barely said an entire sentence to Elsa before tonight and you seem to be spending an awful lot of time with Maria. Your entire demeanor changes when she walks in a room. Not to mention you were absurdly jealous when Elias asked her out for drinks," Max said. Georg cursed himself in that moment. Had he really been so obvious?

"I've told you that it's not like that," he replied, turning his attention back to his wine glass in hopes that Max would drop the subject entirely. Of course, this was Max he was talking to. The man never just dropped anything.

"And I believed you when you told me that. Well, I believed you for about five minutes. Your actions tonight have only justified my suspicions," Max said.

"What suspicions? There's nothing going on. I'm not having an unsavoury relationship with the governess," Georg growled.

"Those weren't my suspicions. I believe that there is nothing physical going on, I trust you on that, but mainly because Maria's not the type. But I don't believe that you just think of her as the governess," Max said, leaning forward to catch Georg's eyes. Georg looked up at Max and could see that Max had already seen right through him, likely from the start.

"I don't. She's much more than that. She's a friend," Georg replied weakly in one last futile attempt to bury any semblance of affection for Maria. Max let out a dry chuckle, obviously not buying it.

"Georg let me give you some advice; do try and be honest with yourself before someone gets hurt," Max said as he clapped Georg's shoulder. Georg frowned. Was he truly hurting Maria? He supposed he had earlier with his beastly behaviour. Most of all, he was probably hurting himself the most by not being honest with himself. But would it hurt more if he was honest with his feelings?

The sound of high heels against the marble floors brought both men's attention to the door. Elsa walked in, her face red and her eyes full of rage. Any hope that Elsa might have waited until the next day to reprimand him was lost. He knew she was about to tear him to shreds.

"I think this is my cue to leave. Good luck," Max said, removing himself from his seat and walking out of the room, leaving just Elsa and Georg in the room. Elsa made no hesitation to begin her verbal torture.

"Would you like to explain yourself?" Elsa asked, her voice surprisingly in control despite her appearance. Georg mustered up all the courage he could to give her a valid reason for his behaviour without being too honest.

"Look, Elsa, I'm sorry I ruined dinner. I just-," Elsa cut him short.

"Stop. I don't want anymore of your half assed excuses. I know there is something going on. I'm not stupid, Georg. I can see through this façade you have put on that you think is fooling everyone," she told him. Georg sighed.

"Nothing is going on," Georg replied with a weak shrug. Elsa walked over to where Max had been seated and fixed Georg with one of the coldest stares he had ever been on the receiving end of.

"Really? So, running Elias out of the house, upsetting the guests, and sending Maria flying up the stairs to her room were all just unintentional? You mean to tell me that there is nothing going on between you and Maria?" she asked, her volume rising enough for Georg to know she wasn't afraid of letting the entire house know of her accusations.

"I've said before that there's nothing going on," he replied weakly. Elsa huffed, shaking her head.

"Like hell there isn't. I'm not blind. The way you look at her and the way you talk to her does not support your claim in the slightest. I'll ask again, is there something going on between you and Maria?" she asked again, staring Georg down. Georg felt his face heat at the scrutiny he was under.

"No! There isn't. We're friends but it hasn't gone any further than that," he replied. He was being truthful for the most part. They really hadn't gone beyond anything but friendly conversation. He didn't believe it was necessary to inform Elsa of the events that occurred months ago. He believed it would only hurt every party involved, especially Maria.

"I'm finding it extremely difficult to believe you, Georg. You wouldn't even let her go out to drinks with another man," she stated.

"I was being honest when I said the children might need her. And for god's sake Elsa, you know Elias, he's a womanizing snake. I didn't want Maria to go through his cruelty," he said, feeling his nerves unravel more and more with each passing moment.

"You didn't want her going through that because you feel like she's your responsibility while she lives under your roof, or because you've developed feelings for her? Those are very different things, and I suggest you think carefully about the answer, because I don't take kindly to being lied to repeatedly," she said. Georg wanted the earth to swallow him whole in that moment.

He made no move to answer. He knew Elsa wouldn't believe him if he tried to assure her with a calculated answer, but he certainly couldn't admit to having feelings for Maria. Especially because he hadn't even completely confronted those feelings himself.

"I see," Elsa said finally, once she realized Georg wasn't going to answer her. She looked to the floor for a moment and he could see her thinking. He was almost afraid to find out what she was conjuring up behind those enraged eyes. When she looked back up at him, he was surprised to see the anger had faded. He couldn't read her now; she had set her face into a stony neutrality.

"I got a call this morning. My aunt suffered a heart attack last night. She's in critical condition. I'm going to go speak to Max, and we are going to leave for Vienna in the morning. I'll stay there until my aunt is more stable, and then we'll come back. I hope by then, you'll have sorted out whatever you've been struggling with, and we can move on," she said. Georg felt his heart sink. He had been incredibly nasty when Elsa was going through something upsetting. He truly had been a terrible beast. He hadn't thought of anyone besides himself really.

"I'm sorry about your aunt, Elsa," he told her. Elsa nodded.

"Thank you. Just take the time to focus on what it is you really want, Georg, because I'm tired of this game you're playing," she said in a warning tone. Georg nodded his head slightly, feeling a wave of regret wash over him for the way he had treated Elsa. He should have known she wouldn't stand idly by while he all but ignored her.

"I'll call you once we get to Vienna," she told him before walking towards the door. Georg stayed in spot and stared at the place where she had just been standing, feeling mentally drained from the evening.

"Oh, and Georg," Elsa said from the doorway. Georg turned his head in her direction. "I would think very carefully about what you want. Every choice has a consequence."

With that, she left Georg to decipher her last words of warning. He slumped back into his chair and stared at the dinner table, still full of plates and cutlery. Elsa's warning rang clear in his ears as he tried to break it down. Did she mean he had to choose between her and Maria? Or did she mean he had to make a choice between committing to Elsa or not? He could break down several different choices she might want him to make, but frankly, his mind was exhausted and clouded from a mixture of whiskey and wine.

His eyes landed on the seat that had been occupied by Maria earlier. He wondered where she was. Did she go to her room? Did she go to see the children? Was she upset? Had he ruined their friendship? Questions whizzed through his mind. He certainly hadn't intended to make her upset. His actions had come with good intentions, or so he told himself. Would she have really been happier going out with Elias only to get her heart broken when he stole her virtue and left her the next morning?

Of course, he thought, that hadn't been purely his motive. He supposed Max had been right when he accused Georg of being jealous. The image of her in any man's arms didn't sit well with him at all. But was that justification for speaking so brashly? Especially in front of a group of people who were almost all strangers to her?

He did regret his actions. He regretted causing any hurt to Maria, at least. He knew he had to rectify it. He checked the time. It was quarter to nine. He could go and talk to her right then, but would that do either of them any good? He needed to think before he spoke to her. He had always thought himself of a rather analytical mind. He liked plans and he typically thought logically. Earlier, however, he had spoken without really thinking about how his words would affect her. This time, he needed to think clearly and decide on what he would say to her, to avoid as much pain as possible for both of them.

He stood from his seat. He could go to his study and plan the best way to go about the conversation. He knew he needed to apologize to her. He knew he had to make things right. He was determined to fix the mess he made with as little damage to the both of them as he could.

He decided he would speak to her in the morning and make sure he made everything right between them again. And, he decided, he would attempt to have his feelings buried by then.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry for the longer wait on this chapter. I had obligations and then I fell rather ill last weekend. In fact, a big chunk of this was written during a fever induced haze, so apologies. I've tried to clear this chapter up a bit, as it made no sense whatsoever in its early draft, but I must confess that I'm still a bit under the weather (and still very much taking flu medication to which I'm not sure if it has affected my writing). **

**I also wanted to add more Zeller and other interactions with the other guests. I actually had a little more interaction between Georg and other guests in the original draft, but it ended up being something upwards of 15k by the end. I thought that was just ridiculously long (apparently that's my limit). I ultimately had to make cuts and that was the first to go because most of the other parts I felt were needed for the plot and Georg's overall character, especially when it comes to future chapters. But don't worry! (or maybe do worry) We have not seen the last of Zeller yet.**

**We're embarking on some pretty tense territory in this chapter and in the next chapter as well. I've been extremely excited for the next chapter for a very long time. I hope you guys are ready for it. **

**Your reviews, once again, have been incredibly lovely to read. Seriously, I read them and blush a little. Thank you to everyone who has read this wild ride of a story, and I appreciate every favourite and follow. I'll try not to take as much time on the next chapter.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Maria was annoyed, frustrated, and hungry, and each one of these unpleasant feelings had to do with one pretentious ass named Georg von Trapp.

In retrospect, Maria didn't _have_ to skip breakfast. The wise thing would have been to go downstairs and face Georg head on instead of dragging the tension out longer than necessary. She wouldn't even have to acknowledge the events of the previous night with the children around. However, she just couldn't bring herself to face him. Not after the way he had acted.

The events had replayed over in her head like a bad movie for most of the night, concluding in little to no sleep for Maria as she tossed and turned over Georg's erratic and frankly, uncalled for behaviour. Georg had acted in an entirely irrational manor that had left everyone at the table, especially Maria, uncomfortable beyond measure.

She had tried to justify it in her head after she had left the table, but she couldn't come up with any plausible reason for his brash actions. The way he had spoken about her as if she were a child in front of all those people – it was embarrassing and degrading. He hadn't even asked for her opinion in the matter!

No, she wouldn't have gone out with Elias anyhow, but the fact that Georg had stripped her of having any say in the matter was infuriating. She had thought that there was a mutual level of respect and trust that had developed between them, but obviously she had been wrong. If last night had been Georg's idea of respect for Maria, he was out of his mind.

Maria had barely slept. She could only think about Georg's harsh tone and the disdain clear in his eyes. She hadn't experienced Georg in such a state since he had come home from Vienna. She thought they were past all of that. Clearly, she was wrong.

She knew she would have to face him eventually, but she wasn't even sure what she would say to him. She was still incredibly angry about the way he had treated, not only her, but Elias as well. Though she hadn't known the man too long, he was pleasant and kind to Maria. She saw no need for Georg to act in such a hostile manner towards Elias.

She had been hiding out in the children's study room for a good portion of the morning. She had received some wary eyes and questions about why she hadn't attended breakfast, but she had brushed them off quickly, claiming she had a headache and needed to lie down for a while. Most of the children had taken that answer easily, but Liesl and Brigitta had fixed her with curious stares, the doubt clear in their eyes.

She would rather not explain to the children the real reason. For one, it was still a fresh wound for Maria. And for another, she didn't want the children to see their father in a negative light. Though, they were quite upset that he hadn't come to say goodnight to them like he had promised. That was another curious detail to Maria. Georg had been going in to say goodnight to his children practically every night for weeks, and yet, last night he failed to do so.

She briefly wondered if something had happened. He had been most disagreeable over the past week, but Maria had assumed it had something to do with the dinner party due to the way his features always darkened when someone mentioned it. But maybe there was something deeper. She couldn't help but feel wildly curious at what could have put him in such a dismal mood.

A thought that had crossed her mind was that perhaps Georg had a nasty history with Elias, but Elias seemed pleasant enough to Georg. There seemed to be no bitterness or hostility in Elias when he spoke to Georg. It was only Georg who had spoken in tones of nastiness, which Maria hadn't thought was much like Georg at all. He could be severe at times, but he was never outright rude when he could help it. He typically kept an aura of professionalism and politeness about him.

She knew Georg was truly a good man. It was obvious in the way he made every effort to be kind to her, despite their rocky start. It was also obvious in the way he interacted with his children. Though having been nearly estranged from them for five years, he had put every effort into rekindling his broken relationship with them.

Maria knew that once someone was able to get past Georg's stoic mask, his nature was kind, caring, intelligent, and most of all, honourable. Having gotten to know Georg better than she had ever expected to over the past weeks, she knew just how sweet natured he could be under his stony exterior. It only made his behaviour at the dinner party more bizarre.

She tried to push the thoughts of the complexity of the man that was Georg away as she watched the children work studiously on their various assignments. The more she dwelled on the situation, the more her brain felt as if it were about to combust. Yet, her brain was stuck on his actions. He perplexed her to no end. She briefly thought that if it had been anyone else who had acted in such a manner, it might have hurt a little less and she couldn't quite figure out why that was. Why did it cut so much deeper when it was he who held the knife?

A buzz caught her attention. She looked down at the pile of the children's phones, expecting one of them to have been lit up with a notification. They all remained on a black screen. She looked further to her left to see that it was, in fact, her own phone that had buzzed.

She picked it up, doubting it would be anything of significance. An email perhaps. Her eyes widened as she saw she had a message from the very man she had just been trying to decipher.

_Captain: Could you come down to my study for a moment? We need to talk. [Sent at 10:54 a.m.]_

Maria read the message over again, dread filling her heart. A hundred different thoughts flew through her mind. What did he want to talk about? Obviously, she knew the basics of the conversation he was likely to initiate, but was he going to apologize? Was he going to pick a fight? Was he going to fire her? There were several possibilities that came to the forefront of her mind.

At this point, Maria had no idea where his mind was at. She wasn't sure if he was upset about the situation or if he felt any remorse. Georg's moods could be unpredictable. She knew she was still angry about the way he had treated her, and about the way he had spoken for her without any regard for her feelings. She felt like she was too angry, too emotionally volatile to speak to him.

_To Captain: I'm with the children. Maybe later? [Sent at 10:58 a.m.]_

She tried to remain concise and brief. She didn't want her frustration with him seeping through her words. She needed space and time to cool down. She needed to figure out what she was going to say to him. She wanted to be able to calmly inform him that how he had acted had both hurt and upset her. She wanted them to have a civil conversation about it, but she feared that speaking to him right then could lead to a conversation that was anything but civil.

When another buzz came from her phone within a moment of putting it down, she knew she wasn't likely to be getting the space she required.

_Captain: I'd rather we do it now. Please. It won't take long. [Sent at 10:59 a.m.]_

Maria exhaled in a long shaky breath. She could ignore the message entirely and claim her phone died or that one of the children needed her help with something, but Maria had never been a very good liar, and she knew Georg would be able to see right through her, as he seemed to have a talent for it. She supposed that if he wanted to talk right then, it would be easiest to just get it over with. There was no point in refusing him if he was already angry. She certainly didn't want to make the situation worse.

"Children, I'm just going to step out and talk to your father. I should be back soon," Maria said. Seven pairs of eyes looked up at her. A couple of the children nodded, while a couple fixed her with skeptical eyes. The children were incredibly perceptive, it would seem. It was like they knew something wasn't quite right.

"Do you have to go?" Gretl asked. Maria gave the young girl a weak smile.

"I do. But I'll be back before you know it," she told her. "If it takes a little longer than originally planned, you are free to stop working at eleven-thirty, as usual. Liesl, you're in charge."

Liesl nodded in Maria's direction but kept her quizzical gaze on Maria. Maria turned to walk out, hoping it would only be a few short moments until she returned.

She made her way down the stairs, fighting to keep her breathing at a steady rate. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest with equal parts of anxiety and anger. She began to picture the events from the night before all over again, making her feel the frustration boil in her blood once again. She wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived at Georg's study, and that made her all the more uneasy.

She reached the study and knocked lightly against the door, willing her heart to stop beating so radically. She needed to have a clear mind while speaking to Georg. She needed to keep things brief and civil, for his benefit, and her own.

"Come in," she heard the rich tone of his voice call. With a quivering hand, she gripped the knob of the door and opened it to reveal Georg sitting at his desk with reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he hunched over some paperwork. She noticed that he had traded in his typical polo for a navy-blue jumper, but she supposed given the cool temperature of the day, it was a wise choice. He finished writing something on one of the pages in front of him and looked up at her.

"Oh, Maria. I wasn't entirely sure you would come. Please, come in," he said with a small smile on his face. She watched as he removed the reading glasses from his face and set them down atop the paperwork. Maria slowly entered the room, closing the door with trembling hands. He certainly didn't seem to be upset, which was more than she could say for herself.

Georg stood from his seat and moved around his desk, settling on leaning against the front of it. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her carefully. Maria felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny given that she had no real idea of what he wanted to say to her. She kept her eyes pointed more so at his chest than his face. It was easier that way. The softness of his gaze on her made her feel, not only unhinged, but almost guilty for even being angry with him.

"Would you like to take a seat?" he asked, inclining his head towards one of the armchairs that sat in front of his desk. Maria felt her head shake in response.

"You said this would be rather quick," she said. She cursed her voice for trembling. The funny thing was, it wasn't trembling from fear as Georg might think, but rather from pent up anger that had manifested its way into her veins as she had made the trip down to his study.

"Yes, I suppose I did say that," he replied, a small frown falling on his lips. "I assume you know why I asked you down here?"

"I have an idea," she answered. She saw the fingers of his one hand fidget against the material of his jumper, a distinct sign of his discomfort, she had learned.

"I, uh, think I ought to apologize for what happened last night," he started. His jaw was hard set and his eyes shifted from her face to one of his bookshelves.

"Okay," she said in a small voice. For a moment, she watched Georg struggle with himself as he opened his mouth and then closed it again repeatedly. She wondered how often he issued sincere apologies, as he seemed to struggle with doing so.

"I acted most abominably last night. I am very sorry for causing you any discomfort. That wasn't my intention," he told her. She could see his eyes were genuine as he spoke, but Maria wasn't sure she was ready to accept his apology. He had made her feel small and unappreciated, and that didn't sit well with her. But she refrained from speaking her mind. She didn't want to fight with him. She didn't have the energy.

"Was that all?" she asked, surprised at the iciness of her tone. Georg studied her face carefully, his eyes scanning over her as if trying to guess what exactly she was feeling in the moment. She nearly rolled her eyes. She knew the expression she wore likely conveyed her annoyance perfectly.

"I suppose. I mean, I-," Maria didn't let him continue.

"Then I should get back to the children," she said. She turned towards the door and gripped the door handle.

"Maria, wait," the urgency in his voice made her pause. She knew she shouldn't stay. She knew the best course of action would be to walk right out the door and leave before she said something that she might later regret. But her feet stayed planted to the floor. A part of her was curious to how he would justify his actions in order to dispel her own uncertainties. A part of her wasn't sure she could just leave him. She found herself bound to the room like a magnet was holding her in place.

"You understand why I did it, don't you?" he asked quietly. Maria let out a huff of air as she turned back to face him. He had the audacity to stand there and look bewildered by the frustration that had manifested its way into her features.

"Which part are you talking about? Shaming Elias or treating me like one of your children?" she asked. She very nearly clapped her hand over her mouth for speaking so brashly. She knew she could be outspoken even on her best days, but when something caused her temper to flare up, the filter in her mind seemed to fly out the window.

"I didn't treat you like one of my children. Is that what you think happened?" he asked, squinting in her direction. Maria bit back a frustrated sigh. Did he really not understand how belittling his actions were?

"It certainly seemed like it. You made the decision for me like you were my father," she said, suddenly not having much of a care about how outspoken she was. If he insisted on having the conversation right there and right then, she might as well make her feelings clear. Georg's eyebrows shot up at her statement and his features deepened in a frown.

"So, you wanted to go with him?" he asked. She could detect the bitter note in his voice, and she was a little taken back by it. What did he have against Elias? More importantly, why did that matter now? She certainly wouldn't be seeing the man ever again after the way Georg had spoken to him.

"I would have liked to make the decision for myself," she replied, straining to keep her voice neutral. Georg narrowed his eyes and uncrossed his arms, gripping the edge of the desk with his hands. She could see his knuckles turning white in his grip.

"That's not what I asked," he said, his voice dangerously low. Maria fought the urge to roll her eyes as he placed his mask of authority back on. She really thought they were past this.

"I don't feel like I should have to answer that," she said evenly as she could muster. She wished she had just walked out of the door when she had the chance. Georg was fixing her with a menacing stare that she didn't particularly care for. She was not in the wrong, and she was truly tempted to remind him of that fact.

"I'll take that as a yes," he muttered, pushing himself off the desk and taking a few tentative steps towards her. The was a glint in his eye that reminded Maria of a hot flame, ready to burn everything in its path. "Do you know what kind of man he is?"

Maria made no move to answer. She really didn't know what to say to him. She didn't truthfully know Elias well enough to give an accurate description of his character. Judging by the look in Georg's eyes, the question was more of a rhetorical one anyways.

"I'll tell you. He's the kind of man who would have taken you out for drinks until you were just tipsy enough for his liking. He would have buttered you up with compliments for most of the night. He would have laid on a lot of charm and made you feel special just so he could get you somewhere secluded. I won't go into detail, but you can imagine what he would do next," he spat bitterly. He wasn't even looking at her anymore, but rather at a point on one of his bookshelves.

Maria bit back a sarcastic laugh as she reflected on the similarity of the depiction Georg had set out to another night.

"How ironic," she murmured. She thought she had said it under her breath, but Georg's head snapped up in her direction, his eyes wide.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Maria nearly winced at his complete lack of understanding. Was he really that oblivious?

"I mean you're being a hypocrite," she stated plainly, not even attempting to hold back her anger anymore. If he wanted an argument, she would give him one.

"I am not," he said with an exasperated sigh. Maria did let out a bitter laugh at that.

"You did the exact same thing at that nightclub all those months ago," Maria stated. Georg fixed her with a puzzled look.

"I thought we agreed to put that behind us," he said. She was once again tempted to roll her eyes. His arrogance could be exhausting.

"We did. Until you started talking about all the 'wrongs' that Elias might have committed against me. You did the same thing to me," she said quietly. She knew she was crossing a line and playing with his fiery temper. Georg had a short temper; Maria knew that quite well. From the times she had seen Max call him out on his brooding tendencies and his occasional lack of manners, she knew that he didn't take kindly to being exposed to his less than gentlemanly behaviour.

"It's not the same thing," Georg said. In the moment, he reminded her of a small child defending himself against the reprimanding of his parents.

"Yes, it is," she replied.

"He would have left you the next morning without a trace," he replied bitterly, stalking closer to her. Maria scoffed.

"And you wouldn't have?" she asked. She watched his body tense up at the question. They both knew the answer. As noble as Georg could be, she knew if things had gone further that night, he would have been anything but honorable the next morning.

"The point is," he said, his tone softening a little in defeat as he evaded Maria's question, "I know I acted irrationally last night. I wanted to apologize, but more importantly, I wanted to make sure that we were okay."

Maria eyed him carefully. He appeared to be genuine. His eyes were clear and earnest, and he only showed remorse in his features. While she appreciated his apology, she still found herself angry. She was angry that he had belittled her, angry that he had publicly humiliated her, angry that he had taken her decision away from her. She felt as if there was so much that she still didn't know about why he had acted in such a manner, and it frustrated her.

She looked away from him entirely and focused on one of the windows along the back wall of his study. She took a few steps past him to get closer to the window, stopping next to his desk. She folded her arms across her chest as she took in the grey clouds rolling over the garden. She was sure there was going to be a great, big, thundering storm later in the day.

She was uncertain by her own feelings. While she was frustrated by his actions and desperately wanted to understand why he had done what he had, she felt herself desperate to forgive him. She couldn't quite explain it to herself. She didn't like arguing with Georg. In fact, it was nearly unbearable. She was split between wanting to forgive him to make things normal between them and wanting answers to understand him.

She felt the anger taper off bit by bit as she watched the sky darken over the lake in front of her. It wasn't in her nature to be angry for long. Though her temper could be short, she never held a grudge. Even as the anger faded, she still had questions, born more out of a desire to understand him than anything else.

"Why?" she asked quietly. From his silence, she wasn't even sure he had heard her. She opened her mouth to ask again, but he was already speaking.

"Why what?" she heard him ask from somewhere behind her. She was sure he had taken a few steps closer to her from the proximity of his voice.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. There was more silence between the two of them as he seemed to contemplate an answer. She could vaguely hear a small sigh escape his lips.

"I told you, Elias is not a good man, and-," she cut him off. She didn't want to hear the same explanation over again. She knew that he was aware of what she was asking, however, he seemed hellbent on not giving her a straight answer.

"I understand that you believe he is a bad man. I just don't understand why you said such nasty things to him or why you had to treat me like a child in front of all those people," she said. She watched as lightening struck from somewhere in the distance, far across the lake.

"I hope you know that I don't think of you as a child," he said softly. Maria shook her head.

"That's not what I asked," she said, echoing his words from earlier. Silence fell between them once again, and Maria could hear the distant roll of thunder as she waited for his answer with bated breath.

"Truthfully, I don't know. I didn't want to see him hurt you," he said. Maria stayed quiet. She didn't quite know what to say. A part of her heart swelled at the implication that he had truly been concerned about her well being, but she still felt uneasy about the situation. They were friends, yes, but did that grant him a power over her decisions? If he had been concerned, did he really have to go about it like he had? Or was he concerned by her naivety and ultimately believed that she was incapable of making her own decisions?

She felt like she didn't have all the answers. But she didn't want to poke and prod at him about his actions. She had already been outspoken enough in her displeasure of how he conducted himself. But she felt at a loss with Georg. He could be sweet and kind when he wanted to, but there were other times where the stone-cold mask seemed to seep through. She couldn't quite figure him out.

She didn't say a word. She let the silence fall over them in such great capacity that she was sure if a pin dropped, it would sound something akin to a gun going off.

"Maria?" she heard him speak several minutes later. She didn't respond right away as she thought about what she wanted to say to him. Her nerves had calmed completely from being angry to being downright confused as she contemplated the situation.

"I can take care of myself, you know. I'm not as incapable as you think me to be," she said softly.

"I know you can. I've told you, I don't think you're a child," he replied in a gentle tone. She could hear the remorse seep through his tone. She knew he was sorry, but she had difficulty accepting an apology without knowing more.

"I just don't understand why you went about it like that. It was embarrassing," she said so softly that it was barely a whisper. Again, she was almost sure he hadn't heard her, but his sharp little intake of breath let her know that he had.

"I know. I want to make things right, Maria, I really do. I don't know what came over me, really. I don't think the drinking helped. I've never thought highly of Elias. I hear about a different scandal involving him nearly every week. And then he asked you to go for drinks, and I knew where he was heading with it and I just couldn't bear to see him do that to you," he rambled. Maria was surprised at his tangent. She had never heard Georg ramble, and was that nervousness she detected in his voice? Something seemed very off about the man she was in a room with.

Maria slowly turned in his direction. He was standing a couple feet behind her as the fingers of his left hand tapped away at his leg. He watched her with a sort of tender curiosity, scanning her face to read her emotions. He seemed agitated and rather unsure of himself. Maria only studied him. She wasn't really sure what to say at such and open admission.

He couldn't bear to see Elias do that to her? What could that mean? Her heart rate sped up at the implications and she swallowed hard. His eyes watched her carefully. There was something so stripped back and bare about the way he looked at her. Her heart thundered in her chest as she took in his gaze. The air in the room seemed to have shifted in that moment dispelling the anger and hurt to something raw and tender. There was a new electric charge that hadn't been there before, fueled by the way he watched her with a spark in his eyes that she didn't quite recognize.

She knew she should say something to end the silence between them, but the words weren't coming to mind. All she could focus on was the way his eyes seemed to be drowning her in their fiery blue depths. It was unnerving, the way he gazed at her, and the flutter in her stomach gave her an uneasiness unlike anything else.

"I, uh, appreciate your concern," she started unsteadily. She vaguely remembered through the haze that began to cloud over her thoughts that she was there to stand her ground and let him know that his actions had been unnecessary. "But it wasn't necessary. I could have taken care of myself."

She was surprised when Georg let out a dry laugh.

"I know that. I know you are perfectly capable of handling yourself. You made it very clear the day you snapped back at me when I returned to Vienna. I had no doubts that you could take care of yourself with Elias, but I wasn't willing to take the chance that that he actually acted like a gentleman for once in his life. Is it so outrageous that someone may actually care about you and give a damn about what happens to you?" he asked, his voice laced with subdued frustration.

Maria's mouth fell open slightly at his declaration. She supposed it had seemed a little outrageous in her mind. Since her parents had died, Maria had felt rather alone in the world, and she depended upon only herself. Her uncle had never showed her much kindness when she went to live with him, and so, she got used to the idea of being fiercely independent. Even at school, she had believed she would be the only person looking out for herself. She had friends, yes, but she had come to the conclusion long ago that she was the only one she should depend upon. She had gotten used to being on her own, so much so that Georg's declaration of caring for her seemed absurd.

Maria couldn't move, nor could she speak. She was at a loss for words. Anything she could think of saying didn't seem right. His eyes were so earnest that Maria desperately wanted to look away but found difficulty in doing so. His eyes were magnetic as he gazed at her with a tender care that Maria wasn't sure she had ever known.

When Georg took a step closer to her, she felt the anxiety rise in her chest. His proximity was unnerving. The deep heaves of his chest were unnerving. His whole presence in the electricity of the room threatened to undo Maria as she watched him approach her.

"You really don't understand just how much of an impact you've had on our lives, do you?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. He was near enough to her that his chest nearly touched hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he looked down at her, his eyes piercing into her soul. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly feeling unbearably dry. There was something new and dangerous burning in his eyes. Maria couldn't be sure where exactly he was going with this, or if she ever wanted to find out.

"We all care about you," he started, his voice velvety and smooth. Maria felt the rest of the world grow smaller until it was only him and his voice that her brain was attuned to. "The children love you. Mrs. Schmidt adores you. Max, as silly as he is, thinks very highly of you."

Maria's heart was in her throat. She could feel the whispers of his breath on her face. She could smell his earthy cologne radiating off him, and she felt lightheaded at the scent. He was too close to her for any coherent thoughts to enter her mind as she began to feel an intoxicating haze come over her at his proximity.

"And you?" she choked out. She could vaguely hear her voice waver above the pounding of her heart in her ears.

She saw a small smile form on Georg's lips. He dipped his head down closer to her own. His nose nearly grazed her own. She felt her heart race wildly in her chest. A small voice told her she needed to back away and leave the room. She knew that whatever he was doing was about to be trouble. But between the warm sensation of his breath against her face, and the intoxicating scent of his cologne, her feet stayed planted to the ground in front of him.

She watched as his eyes darted down to her lips and back up to her eyes. He moved in a fraction, and Maria was sure he was going to kiss her, but he stopped a couple inches from her lips. He was so close that she could practically taste him. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it might just burst out of her chest. On their own accord, her eyes drifted shut, focusing on the feel of his presence without him actually touching her.

"I think you know the answer," he whispered.

Maria later wouldn't be able to recall who closed the gap as their lips met. She was instantly struck by how soft his lips were as they moved gently against her own. She felt the warmth of his palm encompass her cheek as he kissed her tenderly.

Her mind briefly told her that they needed to stop, but she had forgotten how nice he felt against her. She told herself that she would let herself have a minute. He was so warm and inviting, surely it wouldn't do much more damage if she let herself enjoy it for a moment, right?

Her hands slid up his chest, twining behind his neck as she pulled him ever so slightly closer to her. She could feel his chest press against her own as he moved fully into her space. His free hand came to rest on her waist, holding her gently as if she was made of glass and he was fearful of breaking her. Maria's heart was surely pulsing at a dangerous speed with the feel of his mouth on hers, but she couldn't bring herself to break away from him.

She could sense a bit of hesitation in the way he kept the kiss tender and slow. He took his time caressing her lips with his own as if trying to convey everything he felt in the moment. Maria was overwhelmed by his tenderness. When they had kissed at the nightclub, it had been tender and sweet in the beginning, but it was nothing compared to the way he held her now. It was like he was punctuating just how much he cared about her through each press of his mouth.

Maria became acutely aware of how she felt in the moment. She remembered the moment of panic she had in the gazebo only a week ago when she contemplated on the fear of feeling more than just friendship for Georg. She had buried it, determined to only think of him as a friend and nothing more. That had gone well, she briefly thought as Georg moved his lips over her own. It seemed impossible to keep it buried now. And what was more, he seemed to be in the same predicament.

She wondered how they had gotten to where they were. She had gone to his study with the expectation of an argument. And they had argued, but how had it gone from arguing to something else completely? She hadn't expected his declaration of caring for her, nor had she expected the spark in his eye when he looked at her. She was confused, and yet, everything made perfect sense when she was wrapped up in his embrace. She had never known anything like it.

Her hands moved into his hair, feeling the soft strands thread between her fingers. She heard a strangled moan come from the back of his throat as he gripped her a little tighter and pulled her more firmly against him. He deepened the kiss, moving his lips more firmly against her. All thoughts were washed away from her mind as she felt his tongue gently trace her bottom lip. Unlike several months ago, she didn't hesitate. She parted her lips and revelled in the sweet taste of his mouth against her own. The breath was nearly robbed from her lungs as his tongue met hers.

Both of his hands were now situated on her waist, pulling her as close as he could possibly get her. Maria's hands left his hair, sliding down to his chest, grabbing fistfuls of his jumper. To be kissing him in the middle of his study was a scenario Maria had never considered. She had believed it wrong to even let the thought cross her mind. But now, with him pressed against her, and his mouth consuming her every breath, there wasn't anything but him.

They moved in sync against each other. With every passing minute, the kiss seemed to ramp up in intensity. He was practically devouring her, and the strange thing was that she didn't seem to mind. She was lost in his scent, in the way he moved against her in perfect harmony, in the way he felt beneath her hands. He was both hard and soft to the touch and Maria could scarcely get enough of feeling him. As he wrapped both arms around her back and held her against him, she let herself live in bliss for a moment. She let herself focus on the way his fingers stroked tenderly at her back, while the ferocity of his mouth contrasted the touch. For a moment, it was heavenly.

It wasn't long before the alarm bells began to sound in her mind. While she had been willing to ignore the impropriety of the situation before, the little nagging voice in the back of her mind became louder with the more heated things became. Thoughts began to fly through her all at once. They couldn't be doing this. She was the governess! It seemed so wrong to be kissing her employer in the middle of his study in broad daylight. And the children! She had promised she would have been back by now. Surely it was getting close to lunch.

She stilled her movements and felt him slow down. Flattening her hands against his chest, she pushed him back ever so slightly. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving against his own as their soft pants mingled in the air. Maria's eyes stayed firmly on Georg's shoulder as her breathing steadied. She didn't trust herself to look into his eyes just yet. When her breathing normalized, she knew she had to say something.

"Georg, I-," she started, pausing at the unfamiliarity of his given name on her tongue. It seemed almost pointless to refer to him as 'Captain' now. She couldn't find the words to complete the sentence. She began to compile a list of reasons to let him know that what they were doing was wrong.

"Maria, look at me," he whispered. Hesitantly, she brought her gaze up to his. She knew it was a bad idea to look him in the eye. Surely, she could get lost in the deep blue and never find her way out again.

She watched a small smile spread across his face as he looked down at her. He made no move to release her from his grip. He kept his arms wrapped around her, holding her firmly against him. Maria could have pushed him away. She didn't think he would force her to stay where she was if she gave his chest a little push, but she couldn't bring herself to push him away. She liked the way his arms encircled her, and she liked the way she seemed to fit against him perfectly.

"We can't," she said weakly. Georg studied her face. After a moment, he nodded, and his arms released their hold. She had thought he was going to step away, but he only repositioned his hands on her waist. He didn't take a step back, nor did he push her away, he just held her while his thumbs traced small circles through the material of her t-shirt.

"This isn't right," she muttered softly. His eyes never left hers, but she could see his pupils were much more dilated than they had been before. He nodded again and brought his forehead down to rest against hers, his breaths still coming in soft pants against her. He continued his ministrations against her waist, and Maria was sure that if he kept that up, her list might go straight out the window with her sanity.

"There's the children to think about," she said, barely a whisper.

"Yes," he said softly. He closed his eyes and exhaled a sift sigh. The children seemed to resonate with him.

"And I work for you," she said. She found it increasingly difficult to go through her list as his thumbs added a fraction more pressure against her.

"That's true," he replied.

"It's unethical," she said, looking down at his chest and absentmindedly flicking away a stray piece of fluff. She heard Georg make a weak sound of agreement, but he still didn't move away. In fact, she felt his hands grip her waist with just a little more pressure.

"We shouldn't continue," she said. She moved her head away from his to look at him. His eyes opened, and Maria could see there was conflict within them.

"No, we shouldn't," he whispered. His thumbs stilled their ministrations as she watched his eyes cloud over. He seemed to be thinking. On their own accord, the fingers of her one hand traced along the neckline of his jumper. She felt rather than heard his sharp intake of breath.

"I should probably go," she said, making no move to pull away. Her brain screamed at her body to move, but her traitorous feet stayed planted where they were.

"Yes, you probably should," he muttered. She felt his fingers flex against her waist, and she bit down on her bottom lip, causing Georg's gaze to drop. His own tongue darted out to wet his lips as he watched her. Slowly, his gaze reached her eyes again. Neither one of them said a word. They studied each other carefully. Maria was trying to come to the conclusion of which one of them would be the first to move away. One of them had to eventually, right?

Maria didn't feel strong enough to pull away. Her knees felt weak with the way his eyes roamed over her face, the affection in them as clear as day. She was certain she wouldn't be able to stand on her own. She wasn't sure she wanted to stand on her own. A part of her wanted to stay in his arms for as long as she could manage.

All the buried feelings, all the repressed thoughts, everything that Maria had tried to put away for the last weeks began to resurface as the watched his blues eyes search her face. While she knew it was wrong, she also began to realize that she felt more than just friendship for Georg, and it was a thought that frightened her to the core. It didn't frighten her enough to leave though. Her curiosity seemed to be winning out.

She could vaguely hear the rumble of thunder sound, much closer than it had been before. She jumped a little in Georg's arms, and she watched the corners of his lips quirk upwards.

"You know what?" Georg asked softly. Maria shook her head in a dream like state. "I've never been very good at doing what I should and not doing what I shouldn't."

Before Maria could even comprehend the words he had spoken, she felt him move them a few steps backwards. In one fluid motion, he reached behind her and swept the papers off his desk, hoisting her up to sit on it. He moved to stand between her legs and rested his hands on either side of her thighs as he brought his head closer to her own. He watched her face carefully, likely making sure he hadn't frightened her.

Maria's heart was racing, but it certainly wasn't from fear. She was curious to see what would happen and curious to see if he was facing the same feelings. She scanned his face, trying to read his thoughts.

He moved in closer and she thought he was about to kiss her again, but at the last minute, he shifted his head to the left and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"If you want to go," he muttered against her skin. Maria felt the goosebumps prickle on her skin. He placed another kiss on her jaw. "You can go. I won't stop you." Maria fought off a shiver that threatened to shoot down her spine as he placed a kiss on her neck. "But truthfully, Maria," he placed another kiss further down her neck, stopping to lightly nip at the skin. He pulled back to look her in the eye. She couldn't stop the shiver that tremored through her body as his voice dropped to a dangerously low octave, "I don't want you to go."

She couldn't think in coherent sentences when he looked at her with such earnest. He didn't move any closer. He stayed put, his lips suspended mere inches above her own as he watched her.

"Tell me you want to go. I'll back off and let you walk out of that door right now, and I'll never mention it again, just say the word," he told her in a whisper. He brought a hand up and stroked her jaw with a feather light touch. "But if you stay, I don't know if I'll be able to let you go."

The implications of his words were enough to knock the breath clear out of Maria's lungs. She knew the right choice was to tell him she had to leave. But she couldn't. Not with the way he was looking at her. She raised a hand to his face, tracing gently along his cheekbone with her fingers. He closed his eyes at the touch, and she heard a soft sigh escape from him. He opened his eyes again, a question clear within their depths. Maria nodded gently.

Georg made no hesitation. He leaned in and pressed his parted lips against her own. He skipped over the tenderness completely, instead moving with a hunger and passion that Maria had never experienced. While his mouth moved wildly against her own, she felt his hands begin to explore. They started at her waist, slowly snaking up her sides, skating across her ribs. They made their way to her shoulders before grazing along the bare skin of her arms. His hands on her bare skin set her on fire. She wondered what they would feel like everywhere.

On their own will, her legs wrapped around his hips, locking him into her space, and earning a delighted groan from Georg. As quickly as he had pressed his lips against hers, he removed them. Maria briefly felt loss and nearly asked him what he thought he was doing, but her protests were cut off when he buried his face in her neck and began assault her skin with his talented lips. One of her arms wrapped around his back as he lowered his own. One of his hands landed on the desk next to her own hand, while the other dropped down to her thigh, his thumb gently stroking the top of it.

Every single reason they shouldn't be doing what they were doing flew out of Maria's head the moment his teeth found the sensitive spot between her neck and her shoulder. She bit her lip to stifle a moan. Georg must have sensed her holding back because he placed just a little more pressure against her skin. Maria couldn't stifle the moan this time, and she felt Georg smile against her skin.

He continued his assault around to the base of her throat, dipping his head to pay attention to the bit of her collar bone that was exposed by her t-shirt. Maria fisted the material of his jumper as he kissed along her collar bone. He would surely drive her insane. He trailed his lips up the other side of her neck, stopping along the way to nibble here and there. She could hardly recognize the sounds escaping her throat as he continued his assault. She couldn't even bring herself to care. All she knew is that she didn't want him to stop.

Her hand travelled down his back, stopping when she felt the leather of his belt. She stilled a little, unsure of what to do next. As he bent a little further forward to suck lightly behind her ear, his jumper rode up revealing a sliver of skin. She tentatively let her fingers rest against the bare skin. He was hot to the touch. She felt him still immediately, and she removed her hand. He pulled back and looked her in the eye. The blue was gone, and all she could see was the deep black abyss of his pupils.

He pressed his lips against hers with a gruff grunt. It seemed a silent invitation to continue. She snuck her hand up the hem of his shirt and felt his burning skin once again. He shuddered a little when she placed her hand against his back, but only moved his mouth harder against hers. With the hand that was holding him up on the desk, Georg shifted her forward so that she rested against the edge of the desk. She was flush against him and could feel evidence of her effect on him against her thigh, which made her head spin with great force.

She knew deep down that it was too much too soon. She had never been in this sort of situation with anyone before, and she barely knew what to do with herself. Georg on the other hand was clearly experienced, and skillful at that. The way he kissed her, the way he touched her, the way he felt pressed against her was enough to make her dizzy. She knew she needed to stop before things went too far, but she wasn't sure she wanted to stop. He was making her feel things she had never dreamed of.

The hand that had been stroking her thigh grew bolder in its exploration. It traced from her knee, back up the top of her thigh before he retracted his steps, ever so slowly. It was driving Maria insane. His touch was too light. She wanted more. More of what, she wasn't quite sure. She just knew she needed more of him altogether.

She snaked her hand from his back around to his abdomen, exploring the taut muscles and course hair there. He shuddered as she ran a hand up his stomach to trace ribs. A groan escaped him, and she felt his hips buck forward, pressing himself firmly against her.

The hand that was teasing the top of her thigh ceased its ministrations, moving beneath her shirt. Once she felt his hand come in contact with her skin, a shiver ran down her spine. She stilled her own movements against his skin as she felt his hand explore the expanse of her abdomen. His touch was light and firm all at the same time.

A small voice in the back of her mind warned her that this was where she should stop him, that she needed to leave the room right then, but his hand ignited sparks against her skin, and it felt sinfully good. The voice became quieter and quieter as his fingers stroked her side.

He moved his hand upward, across her ribs as his fingers reached the edge of her bra. He traced along the edge of her bra, leaving Maria desperate for his touch. She arched her back slightly, hoping he would get the idea. He smiled against her lips before moving his hand upwards to cup one of her breasts in his hand. She let out a small gasp against him. Georg moved his hand over her breast delicately, as if scared he would break her. He kept his touch tentative, and it was driving Maria mad.

She was about to groan in protest when a vibration against her thigh jolted her entire body. She jumped at the sensation, her lips tearing away from Georg's in the process. Georg didn't seem to even notice the vibration. He simply moved his lips down her neck.

"I think someone is trying to call you," she said. She barely recognized her low, throaty tone as she spoke.

"Hm," he replied into her neck, not bothering to move.

"It could be, oh, your office," she said as he sucked at the skin just under her jaw.

"I'll call them back," he muttered against her skin. The buzzing stopped and Georg toyed with the edge of her bra. Dipping his fingers under the material only to slip them out again. Maria groaned in frustration. Georg smiled against her neck before blazing a trail with his lips down to her shoulder. Finally, he slipped his hand under the material of her bra, cupping her fully in his hand. Maria moaned as his fingertips grazed against her nipple.

Georg let his fingers explore the newly exposed flesh tentatively, paying special attention to what elicited the most cries out of Maria.

Just as a shot of arousal went through her, Maria felt the buzzing against her inner thigh again.

"Georg, it might be important," she squeaked out as he squeezed her gently. He rolled a nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"I don't care. I'll burn that whole office down," he growled against her shoulder. She felt his free hand lift off the desk and reach into his pocket. He pulled out his phone and blindly searched for the power button to end the call, not once stopping his ministrations. Once the vibrating stopped, he tossed the phone on the desk carelessly and let his hand rest on Maria's waist.

She let her hands travel up to rest in his hair as he kissed along her collar bone. She arched her back as he nipped lightly at the same time he gave her breast a little pinch. She ran her fingers through her hair, eliciting a gruff groan from his throat.

This time, Maria didn't feel the vibrations, but rather heard his phone buzz against the desk. She turned her head toward the direction of the sound and saw Georg's phone lighting up with Elsa's picture.

Dread seeped into Maria's veins. Elsa was calling him. She had completely forgotten about Elsa. How could she be so stupid! Georg might have said that Elsa wasn't his girlfriend, but Maria presumed that Elsa must have thought she was with the possessive way she clutched his arm whenever he was near. Maria's body went rigid, and Georg took notice. He slipped his hand away from her breast and pulled back to look at her. He followed her gaze to the phone and let out a curse under his breath.

"You should answer it," Maria told him. Georg shook his head.

"I don't need to," he told her softly.

"She's called three times now. Answer it," she told him, a little more firmly than necessary.

"Maria, I-," she cut him off, raising a hand to his lips.

"Please, just answer it," she told him, trying to steady her shaking voice. He studied her face before letting out an exasperated sigh. Maria unwrapped her legs from around his hip and disentagled her arms from around him. Georg gave her one last lingering look before he removed his hands from her and stepped away to grab his phone.

"Hello," he answered, his voice still slightly husky. Maria hopped off the desk and straightened out her clothes, feeling incredibly stupid in the moment.

"Oh, my throat has just been bugging me. Yes, I'm fine. The drive was okay?" he asked.

Maria looked to the door, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She had just been getting ravaged by Georg in his study. She had let it happen… again. She nearly wanted to cry. How foolish was she? Why did she let herself get so caught up by him? Why didn't she listen to that little voice in her mind that kept begging her to leave? How had she expected it to end? Was she about to let him take her virtue right there on his desk?

It was wrong. The whole situation was wrong. She had known that going into it, and yet she had still let it happen. She felt completely and utterly stupid. All the while she was supposed to be working. Maria's heart sank. The children! Surely lunch had been served by now. She had ignored her responsibilities. She felt the guilty creep up in her mind.

She needed to go. She had to check on the children. She needed to get away from Georg. It was obvious that he was far too distracting for her own good. She desperately needed to put some space between them. She started making her way to the door, her heart in her throat as she bit back tears.

"Wait, hold on Elsa, I need to tell Franz something," Maria heard Georg say into the phone.

"Maria, don't, please," he said in a hushed tone, holding the phone away from him with his hand over the receiver. Maria turned towards him.

"I have to go. I'm sorry," she muttered weakly. Georg took a step towards her, but Maria held a hand out to stop him. "This was a mistake. I want to leave."

Georg opened his mouth to say something but shut it quickly. After a moment, he gave a solemn nod. She could feel his eyes burning into her as she made her exit.

Maria opened the door, refusing to look back at Georg. She walked through and quickly closed the door behind her, taking a shaky breath of air in. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. She refused to let them fall. She simply closed her eyes and gave herself a moment to recover.

Why had she gone and done that? It wasn't like her in any way, but for some reason, her head got muddled when she was near Georg. And the way he had looked at her with such tenderness and care, it was overwhelming. She briefly wondered if that had been his goal from the start. Perhaps with Elsa gone, he felt lonely. She chastised herself immediately for letting the thought enter her mind. Georg wasn't that sort of man, or at least, she didn't think her was. It was all just utterly confusing now.

"Maria?" a small voice made her open her eyes. She saw Brigitta standing a few feet in front of her. Maria blinked a few times. She hadn't even heard the girl approach.

"Why is your face all red?" the girl asked. Maria silently cursed herself. "Were you and father fighting?"

"Uh, no, not exactly," she said. She swallowed hard as she felt fresh tears threaten the corners of her eyes. She wold not cry, especially not in front of one of the children.

"Then why were you in there for so long? Lunch is already over. I came to see if you were okay," Brigitta said. Maria mentally thanked whoever was listening that Brigitta hadn't come to check on her any earlier.

"We were just talking about you children. We may have had a minor disagreement on some things, but nothing to worry about," Maria said, forcing a smile on her face. She didn't like lying to the children, but she didn't see much of a choice. What was she supposed to tell them? That while they had been eating their lunch, she was being seduced by their father?

Brigitta eye her curiously.

"Okay, well, it's raining so we can't go outside for a game. We wanted your opinion on what to do. The others are in the sitting room. I'll take you to them," she said, turning to walk down the hall. Maria's feet followed her without much thought. The alternative was to stay near the door where Georg would inevitably walk through at any minute in search of her. At least with the children, he couldn't confront her.

Her heart pounded furiously as she followed Brigitta. She felt foolish and incredibly remorseful for what she had let happen in the study. She knew it was wrong of her. Though she knew she hadn't been entirely alone in the act, she had encouraged him, and she had let it get carried away. She could have stopped it, but she hadn't, and her heart fell at the very thought.

Maria brought her trembling fingers up to touch her lips. The first time he had kissed her, months ago, had been torture to move past. It had haunted her for months with no end. That was long before she even knew who he was, and long before she began to care for him.

She wondered what it would be like now. Had she messed everything up? The first time they were able to move past it, but how would they ever move past what had just happened? She cursed herself for letting her mind become so clouded in a moment of weakness. Surely, she had ruined their professional relationship. She doubted they could ever go back to the way things were.

She knew she had to formulate a plan. She didn't doubt that Georg would want to speak to her about the incident, but she couldn't let that happen until she knew what to say. Her best line of defence was to keep the children near her at all times. He wouldn't be able to mention it in front of his children. And in the meantime, she could figure out just how to tell him that she regretted making such a drastic mistake.

* * *

**A/N: So, this happened. This took me so long, and I apologize. It wasn't the actual writing piece that took a long time, it was more that I had this all planned out a certain way and it didn't go according to plan. Basically, in the outline I wrote, it was a split chapter between Maria and Georg. However, I got through Maria's piece and realized it was already 10k and that Georg's would be another 10k, so I thought I'd split them because 20k words in a chapter just seems like a lot. **

**This chapter really leaves a lot of questions and I'm just not sure I like it on its own. Georg's chapter (which is getting close to being done) answers a lot of questions and really compliments everything in this chapter. I just overall have been feeling weird about posting this chapter because, initially, Georg's perspective was supposed to come in and clear some things up. I blame myself for writing too many words. I'm far too wordy for my own good.**

**With all that being said, the next chapter should be up pretty soon, and it's exciting. The next chapter is one I'm feeling a bit better about than this one. Maria is confused which leaves me confused which leads me to stare at my screen for hours and contemplate what on earth I just wrote. **

**I hope you liked this chapter. I mean at least things are moving along, right? We're getting somewhere. Or, at least we were, before Elsa decided to call at a most inopportune moment. **

**Again, thank you for the reviews. Every time I got frustrated with this chapter, I would read the wonderful comments you guys have left and they drove me to keep writing. I appreciate every single one of you who has kept reading this wild little story of mine, and I'm excited for us to venture on to the next chapter. **


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The day had _not_ gone as planned, Georg reflected as he sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He hadn't meant for things to get as out of hand as they had. His initial plan was to speak to Maria about the dinner party, and that was it. He had planned to make a quick apology and make sure they would be okay. He had planned on making things right between them to regain her friendship and trust back after he had acted so abominably towards her. He had not planned for his feelings towards Maria to get the best of him, resulting in his ravaging her up on the very desk he sat at now. And he had certainly not planned on letting her leave the way she did – confused, disoriented, and likely hating his guts.

Georg felt incredibly foolish. Had he not just told himself the night before that he would bury whatever feelings that had managed to sneak to the surface? Had he not convinced himself that it was in the best interest of everyone to keep his revelations to himself until he was able to cement just what they were? Instead, he had acted impulsively, letting the river of these newfound desires flow through him in a way that he wasn't sure he would be able to stop.

He could take the coward's way out and blame it on his lack of rest. He hadn't slept a wink after the dinner party. He had laid in bed and focused on ways to keep himself composed in the morning. He didn't even want to think about any feelings that lie within him until he had a proper chance to apologize to her and mend their relationship.

But once she had entered his study, all the feelings he had spent an entire night repressing slowly began to bubble to the surface. He couldn't explain it. It was as if just the sight of her was enough to make him feel like a schoolboy with a crush. The moment she walked through the door, he wanted her – needed her with the power of a blazing fire ready to destroy everything in its path.

He had tried to keep himself in control. Georg had always prided himself on his control, especially in the navy. His mind worked analytically. There was scarcely a problem Georg faced that he could not figure out. However, the problem of Maria and the enchanting effect she seemed to have on him was something that stumped him. The fact that he couldn't seem to keep his feelings buried when she was in a room with him posed a very serious issue.

Of course, it had been coming on for weeks – months if he was being entirely honest with himself. He had just been too blind to realize it. Everyone else seemed to have come to the conclusion long before he had. Max knew. Elsa suspected. Even Mrs. Schmidt had made some coy comment days ago about Maria bringing out a new man in him.

He felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner. He felt absolutely foolish for acting the way he had earlier in his study. Of course, she had run out on him! The way he had acted was something akin to a hormonal teenager with no control. Obviously, she would have her doubts, and yet, he was far more occupied with the feel of her in his arms even when it had been nagging in the back of his mind that he should slow down and have a conversation with her. He had made an absolute mess of things, which had been undoubtedly worsened by Elsa's phone call.

Elsa was another problem entirely. He knew he needed to speak with her about their situation. He knew she wanted something that he couldn't give her. But he also knew that he couldn't simply end things over the phone while she was in a completely different city. The timing couldn't be worse. He was an ass if he strung Elsa along while he was aware that he had feelings for someone else, and he was an ass if he broke things off over the phone while Elsa's aunt was dying in a hospital bed. It didn't seem that there was any outcome in which he didn't make an ass out of himself.

Georg sighed into his hands. How did everything get so complicated? Maria wouldn't even look at him, let alone let him get close enough to speak to her. He had come out of his study after hanging up the phone with every intention of sitting down and having a conversation with her, but he couldn't even get near her. She had always kept a child near her. If that wasn't bad enough, she had barely acknowledged his existence.

Dinner was likely the worst part of the day. Maria never once looked up at him, nor did she speak to him directly. In all fairness, he didn't say anything to her either out of his own uncertainty of whether she would respond to him or not. It was torture being so close to her without being able to say what he wanted to say to her. Most of the children had seemed blissfully unaware of the tension between the two adults, but Liesl, Brigitta, and even Louisa had each glanced between the two of them with skeptical gazes when they realized that Maria and himself were both being unusually quiet while they ate.

He had hoped he would be able to catch her once dinner had commenced, but she had all but run out of the dining room with Marta and Gretl clutching on to either one of her hands. With the children around, she was impossible to get to.

He knew she wouldn't be the one to start the conversation with him. The responsibility fell on him to seek her out, or they would never have a conversation about what had happened. He knew he needed to do it in a timely manner. The longer she sat around with doubts floating around in her head about his intentions, the harder it would be to convince her otherwise.

He weighed his options. He could try and speak with her in the morning. Though, that plan had several flaws. He doubted she would come down to make tea in the morning, as she usually did, in order to avoid seeing him, and as soon as she woke the children up, she wouldn't be alone again for the rest of the day. He could try and text her to come speak with him like he had earlier, but he doubted she would even respond. He wasn't very keen on the idea of letting her doubts simmer around in her mind for the entire night anyways.

No, he had to act quickly. He had a window of time where he knew she wouldn't be with the children. He glanced at his watch. It was half past nine, most of the children would be in bed, and the older three were typically reading or listening to music on their own. Maria wouldn't be with them. There was the possibility that she was already asleep, but he highly doubted it as she had told him only a few days ago that she often stayed up reading.

It seemed that this was his only shot to try and speak with her and explain everything before she came to conclusions about him that would be set in stone and nearly impossible to change. He couldn't bear the idea of that. He couldn't bear the idea of losing her because of his failure to express what he felt.

Georg lifted his head from his hands and inhaled deeply. He needed to be calm and completely in control if he was going to speak with her. It wouldn't do to scare her off while she was already fearful of him. He needed to be able to articulate his feelings in a gentle manner. He couldn't let his nerves get the best of him. If there was a time for him to be strong, it was now.

After a couple of deep breaths, he stood from his chair and turned out his desk lamp, making his way through the room and out of the door. He locked his study door behind him, all the while trying to collect his thoughts.

He began thinking about what he would say to her and how he would start the conversation. He knew it was a matter that he had to handle delicately. He wondered if she would actually hear him out, or if she would shoo him away at the door. He assumed that the latter option was the most likely, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. He needed her to listen to him. He needed to do everything in his power to make her understand what she meant to him.

He walked down the hall, his fingers twitching at his sides as he steeled himself for the oncoming conversation. He tried to put all of his nerves at ease and dispel his doubts. It was just Maria. He had talked to her enough to know that she wouldn't be unkind to him outright. She had a gentle heart. Even if she was upset with him, he knew she would likely hear him out if he insisted.

But there was something about bearing his soul and his feelings to her that scared him beyond measure. He had never been good with feelings. It was something Agathe had mentioned often. While he was a loving husband, he could have a hard time vocalizing his emotions. It was something he deeply regretted after Agathe had passed. He knew he should have told her he loved her more often than he did.

Upon entering the foyer, Georg spotted Mrs. Schmidt walking towards the stairs with a bundle of neatly folded towels in her arms. His brows furrowed as he took in the sight of his housekeeper up and about so late in the evening.

"Mrs. Schmidt, what are you doing up? It's far too late for you to be working," Georg said. He typically didn't like Franz or Mrs. Schmidt working past eight o'clock. The older woman stopped and turned towards him.

"Oh, yes. Well, I meant to deliver some fresh towels to Maria earlier, but it completely slipped my mind. I told her that I would bring them later tonight," she told him. He eyed her carefully.

"It couldn't have waited until morning?" Georg asked. Mrs. Schmidt gave him a half-hearted shrug.

"I passed her in the hall not too long ago which reminded me about the towels. I thought I'd bring them up before I forgot," she said. He nodded slowly before the realization dawned on him. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face. Maria was still awake. Best of all, he had the perfect excuse to see her.

"I can take them up. I'm on my way to ask her about a trip into town tomorrow anyways," he lied. Mrs. Schmidt eyed him warily. He had no doubt that she could see right through him. She had known him long enough to have a good judge of his character. But she wasn't likely to call him out on it.

"Are you sure, sir?" she asked. Georg shrugged, trying to wipe the smile from his face. Even if he was sure that Mrs. Schmidt could see through his lie, he could at least have the decency to feign innocence.

"Oh, yes, yes. I might as well. You're off duty anyhow," he said. Mrs. Schmidt watched him skeptically for a moment before giving a small shrug.

"Well, okay," she said as she handed him the stack of towels. Georg took them under his arm protectively, as if they were the most precious bundle in the world to him. He supposed they were at that particular moment. "Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Schmidt," Georg replied with a grin he couldn't hide. He watched as Mrs. Schmidt walked off in the opposite direction towards her room. Once she was out of sight, Georg ascended the stairs, taking two at a time. He did not want to waste any time.

He walked quietly past the children's rooms until he reached Maria's door. He stared at the wooden frame for a moment as he inhaled sharply. Lifting a tentative hand, he gave a light knock and held his breath. He waited mere seconds that felt more like minutes before she opened the door.

Georg felt his mind go blank as he took in the woman in front of him. She was wearing a pair of pajama pants with little cartoon cats on them along with a plain white t-shirt, a combination that seemed utterly Maria, and rather endearing if he was being entirely honest with himself.

The smile she had been wearing when she answered the door – obviously expecting Mrs. Schmidt and not Georg – fell in a second. Her bright eyes dimmed in colour as she looked at him, and it struck him square in the chest. He hadn't expected her to be overjoyed to see him, but the way she looked on him as if he were some sort of nuisance hurt him a hell of a lot more than he thought it would.

For a moment, their eyes were locked on each other. Maria was waiting for him to say something, and Georg was trying to think of something to say. He had planned an eloquent speech about how he had regretted his actions earlier, followed with several points about all the things he should have said then, but his brain had seemed to turn to mush between walking up the stairs and coming across her door.

"Um, here are your towels,"' he said pathetically. Georg cursed. Was that really all he could think to say? Maria eyed him carefully as he held the bundle of towels out in her direction. She tentatively reached out to take them, and Georg noticed with a pang of displeasure that she was careful not to touch him.

"Thank you," she replied in a quiet voice. He watched as she turned back into her room and began to close the door. With a rush of anxiety at being shut out, his foot instinctively thrusted in the way of the door.

"We need to talk," he said. She turned back towards him, looking down at his foot that was now jamming the door open.

"I don't think we do. I'm rather tired. I was just about to go to sleep," she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"If you can tell me with certainty that you will come and speak to me tomorrow, I'll leave," he said. Maria looked up at his chest, her eyebrows furrowed. She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand. "Don't lie. You're a terrible liar."

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, not trying too hard to mask the iciness in her tone. Georg very nearly rolled his eyes. She knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, she just didn't want to talk about it.

"May I come in?" he asked. Maria's features formed into a scowl before his eyes. He was sure she was going to say no. He stopped her before she could. "I would rather we have this conversation privately than out in the hallway where anyone can hear us."

Maria didn't answer right away, but rather glared at his chest. He waited patiently, giving her the time she needed. He knew that she likely wasn't keen on the idea of being alone with him, given his actions earlier. He was convinced he would have waited outside her door all night if that's the time she required to decide. He was spared having to do so. After a moment, her expression changed from a scowl to defeat.

"Fine," she told him. She moved out of the way of the door, walking into her attached bathroom to set the towels down. Georg stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He watched Maria walk back into the room, folding her arms across her chest as she fixed him, or rather his chest, with a skeptical stare.

He understood how it looked. Him showing up to her room late at night was jarring, even to Georg, but he needed to speak with her. If only he could find the right words to start. He shifted from foot to foot as he began collecting himself, feeling immensely discouraged by Maria's melting gaze burning a hole through his chest.

"You left," he said. He cursed under his breath. He was stating the obvious. She didn't say anything, but her eyes left his chest, finding a spot on the carpet instead. Georg took a deep breath before he spoke again. "You left before I had a chance to explain."

"There's nothing to explain," Maria muttered, more at the carpet than to him. "We both made a mistake, and we are both at fault. We can leave it at that."

Georg's eyebrows shot up at her statement. He knew it would be difficult to speak to her after she had gotten the chance to come up with her own preconceived notions about the incident, but she didn't even seem open to conversation. It was as if in the few hours since they had been in his study, she had already cemented her ideas about what happened. Perhaps it would be more difficult to get through to her than he thought.

"You think it was a mistake?" he asked. He wasn't sure what he would do if she said yes, he only knew he had to try and break through the walls she had put up around her heart between the morning and the evening.

"Don't you?" she asked, her gaze creeping up to his face to gage some sort of reaction.

"No, I don't," he answered honestly. That seemed to surprise her. Her eyes clouded over with confusion as she watched the serious expression on his face as if she thought he was joking. He certainly wasn't laughing. She recovered quickly, however. Her features turned back to a neutral expression before he could even open his mouth to speak again.

"Well, maybe you should," she told him with a bitter bite in her normally soft melodic voice. Now it was Georg's turn to be confused.

"And why is that?" he asked. As neutral as Maria's features were, he could see her hands tremble as they clasped her arms. He could tell she was nervous about his presence. It was a fact he was not proud of.

"I gave you several reasons earlier," she replied. Georg very nearly laughed at that, but he refrained. Laughing would make matters worse.

"Reasons that you seemed to be able to look past for a while, if I remember correctly," he said, keeping his tone as gentle as possible. He watched as Maria let out a huff of air. It would seem he had hit a nerve.

"I wasn't thinking," she said. "I should have left."

"But something made you stay," he replied. He could feel his fingers twitch at his side. "Why did you stay?"

"It hardly matters now," she muttered.

"It matters a great deal to me," he told her softly. She shot him a skeptical look.

"Well, it shouldn't. It will never happen again," she all but mumbled. Georg had to strain to hear her, but when he did, he wish he hadn't. A pang struck his heart at her words. Never was a strong word, and one in which he wasn't sure he wanted to hear under the circumstances.

"Is that what you want?" he asked. Her hesitation began to fill him with hope again. He could see her struggling with an answer. If she couldn't outright tell him yes, that's what she wanted, then there had to be something that was holding her back.

"What we want and what we should do are very different things," she said. Georg had the decency to hold back the smug smile that threatened to form on his lips. She was faltering, and if he was able to keep up the conversation, perhaps she would have a different answer for him; one that was truer to what she desired.

"Some people would say that you should listen to your heart," he said simply. He watched as she shifted from foot to foot. Her hands gripped tightly at her arms.

"Sometimes that leads to more harm than good," she replied. He could hear the slight shake in her voice.

"Do you think I would harm you?" he asked. The shake of her head was subtle, but Georg caught it. He felt pleased that she didn't think that he would harm her. At least he didn't have to worry that she was fearful of him.

"This doesn't just involve us," she said, her tone softer. He knew that. He knew there were other factors to be considered. There were other people who could ultimately end up getting hurt if things didn't work out; seven of them, in fact.

"I know you're worried about the children," he started, ready to settle any anxieties she might have about his seven offspring coming between them.

"It's not just them," she said quickly before he could continue. "Well, I mean, of course, I'm worried about them. I'm their governess, and you're their father. It wouldn't be right."

"Who else are you worried about?" he asked, having a strong inkling to the answer. She averted her eyes from his, and he took it as his answer. "I've told you that she's not my girlfriend."

"It seems like she is," she said quietly. Georg groaned inwardly. He wished Elsa hadn't left. At least if she had stayed another day, he would have been able to talk to her. He would have been able to make his feelings crystal clear to her in order to dispel all the doubts in Maria's head.

"It's complicated," he replied weakly. How was he supposed to explain it to her? He didn't love Elsa – he knew that much. She wasn't really his girlfriend. There had never been a label, but he could see that argument wouldn't hold up in Maria's eyes. What she perceived between Elsa and himself was a relationship, regardless of any labels. But he didn't want Elsa. There was only one thing he wanted in that moment, and she was standing five feet in front of him. If only he had realized that fact earlier.

Maria gave a little nod of her head. Her eyes scanned over the dull beige carpet as if searching for an answer within the fibres of the material. Georg felt a pang of sorrow strike his chest as he watched the confused sadness form in her eyes. He knew he needed to say something lest he lose her forever in that moment.

"I'm going to talk to her," he said. Maria's eyes slowly drifted up towards his face, a question poised in the lift of her eyebrow. "When she gets back. I'm going to tell her where we stand."

"Oh?" was all that came from her lips. It was a question, but what she was asking was uncertain. He knew he had to do a better job of explaining. He had come to her room for one reason, and that was to be completely and wholly honest with her. Georg clenched and unclenched his fist at his side, feeling the perspiration build in his palm.

"Elsa and I have had an… odd relationship, if you can call it that. But the fact of the matter is that we haven't been working for a long time. Long before I even met you. I was just too much of a coward to admit it. I didn't think," he paused as he scrambled for the words he wanted to say, "I didn't think I would ever find anyone that made me feel the way I did with Agathe. When she died, so did a part of me. I never thought I would get that piece of myself back."

Georg let Maria absorb the information as he took a moment to collect his thoughts. He was admitting things he hadn't admitted to anyone else before, and he was petrified. Thoughts he hadn't even admitted to himself until recently were falling from his tongue without a second thought.

For a moment he worried that it was too much. Perhaps his honesty was more than Maria was willing to hear after the way he had treated her earlier. However, the moment she lifted her eyes to meet his own he was proven wrong. He could see through the clarity in those beautiful blue irises that he had her undivided attention. It gave him the strength he needed to start again.

"Elsa is charming and witty, and for a time, she made me forget. Not about Agathe, I could never forget her. She made me forget about the pieces of me that were missing, and I liked that. I liked being able to forget about the brokenness I felt after Agathe, even if it was for a short time here and there. But I was never able to commit wholeheartedly. There was always something missing. For a time, I convinced myself that I would be happy living in this half assed relationship because at least then I wouldn't be alone. Elsa is wonderful and I enjoy her company. Any man would be lucky to have her."

He could see he was losing Maria. Her eyes downcast once again as he spoke. He was doing a poor job of explaining himself. He was rambling on about Elsa when she wasn't the point. The point he had to make was about Maria; about the way he felt an undeniable pull towards her.

"Then I met you," he said quickly. He was pleased when her eyes flicked back up to his own. He was less pleased when her brows knitted on her forehead in confusion. "You changed things."

"But I-I haven't done a thing-," she started, her voice a little breathless. He knew he had her. He knew the walls were coming down. It was clear in the way her voice shook at his declaration and in the way her eyes softened. It gave him hope. There was something about the way her eyes watched him with a subtle tenderness behind them that convinced him that things weren't one-sided. She felt something too. A half smile graced Georg's face as he took a step towards her.

"You've done more than you can imagine, Maria," he told her, his voice dropping ever so slightly. Maria watched him carefully as he came to stand a foot before her. "From the moment I met you at that ghastly nightclub, you made me feels things I wasn't sure I would ever be able to feel again."

He watched the slight tremble go through her body, and he couldn't help but smile a little. It was clear he had an effect on her, even if she didn't want to admit it. He wanted nothing more than to reach out for her, but he wouldn't. Not yet. He didn't want to frighten her.

"But you can't… I mean we-," he cut her off with the shake of his head.

"Do you have feelings for me?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. Maria stared at him with wide eyes.

"Well we-," Georg silenced her again.

"Don't tell me all the reasons we can't. Just answer the question," he said. She looked away from him then, fixing her gaze on the wall to his left with great intensity. Her answer did not come right away, and after a moment, Georg was afraid she might not give him one. She had convinced herself that nothing could ever happen between them, and perhaps in doing so, she would convince herself not to answer the question in fear of revealing too much.

The barely perceptible nod of her head had Georg's heart shooting straight up to the sky. Her eyes met his again and he felt his heart sink back down. There was fear clear in her eyes. While he doubted the fear was because of him directly, he still wanted to do everything in his power to take it away.

As gently as he could, he reached out and grabbed one of her hands that was still crossed over her chest in a defensive stance. She flinched a little at the contact but didn't pull her hand away. He brought the hand towards his chest, placing it over his heart and covering her hand with his own.

He said no words. He only let his eyes drift shut as his heart beat wildly against their hands. For the first time in a very long time, Georg felt completely at peace. He didn't think of Agathe, he didn't think of the way he had neglected his children for years, he didn't think of the pieces of him that he believed were damaged and broken; he just focused on the way Maria's small hand felt warm and perfect against his chest.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Maria staring at their hands. Her eyes held an ocean of emotions, most of which Georg could barely read. He brought his free hand under her chin, gently tipping her face upwards for her eyes to meet his. He gave her a soft smile that he hoped was reassuring.

"I know you're worried, and there's a lot we have to figure out. But I meant what I said this morning. I don't think I can let you go," he whispered gently. She watched him with wide eyes. He could see that she was still processing what was happening, and he couldn't blame her for that. He wasn't sure how much experience she had with men. He doubted it was much.

"I don't know how to, um," she started speaking. Georg gave a breathless chuckle.

"You don't have to know. This is new to me too," he said. He watched the doubt and confusion cloud in her eyes. "What I mean is, this between us is new."

She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. Georg's eyes shifted down to her lips. He very nearly groaned. It drove him insane when she bit her lip. When he brought his gaze back up to her eyes, he noticed that her eyes were focused on his lips. A soft smile formed on his face before he gently pulled her chin with his thumb and forefinger, binging her face closer to his own. He stopped when there were only inches left between them. He didn't want to kiss her unless he was sure she wanted to be kissed. If she wanted to close the gap, she would. He wouldn't force her.

Their lips stayed suspended, their soft breaths mingling in the space between them. For what could have been several moments – Georg couldn't be entirely sure of how much time had passed when she was near him – neither of them moved. He couldn't recall when he had closed his eyes. He couldn't recall when his forehead had connected with Maria's. He couldn't recall when her free hand had landed upon the other side of his chest. He could only focus on the way her breath felt as it whispered across his face, and the soft skin of her hand under his.

He felt that the world had stopped turning, and they were the only two people who existed, until one blissful moment when he felt her soft lips press against his erupting a volcano of emotion in his chest.

The hand that had been resting on her chin slipped down to her waist, pulling her more firmly against him as he moved his lips against her own. He kept it gentle. He didn't want to let things get out of control as they had earlier. This was all very new to her, and he knew he had to take things slow. But as her hand snaked its way into his hair, Georg wasn't sure how much control he had to cling onto. After supressing his feeling for weeks on end, he felt as if each press of her mouth broke open the chasm of his heart more and more.

It was ridiculous, how easy it was to lose control with Maria. He prided himself on control. He kept himself in control in most ways, despite the odd times he let his temper get the best of him. He prided himself on not giving too much away and being able to conduct himself in an appropriate manner both professionally and socially. But when Maria was around, all logic and reason seemed to disappear from his mind. All he could focus on was her.

He found his control slipping away by the second. The way her chest pressed against his, the way she sighed softly against his mouth, the way her hand pulled gently at his hair – it was all driving him to insanity at a rapid pace.

He had come into the room with the intention of telling her the feelings he had neglected to tell her earlier without letting things get out of hand. In his best-case scenario, he imagined he might have kissed her gently before bidding her goodnight, but now that she was pressed against him with her lips against his, he wasn't sure he could simply walk out the door. He found himself needing more of her as the seconds passed. She was just so damn intoxicating.

He felt her tongue sweep across his bottom lip. Whether it was an accident or purposefully done, Georg didn't care. The kisses quickly went from tender caresses to open mouthed devouring. He couldn't get enough. He could have died happily in that moment.

He found himself walking them back towards the bed, his feet moving on their own accord. They fumbled slightly as they moved, but their mouths never broke apart. Even when his lungs screamed for air, he couldn't bring himself to break away, not when her tongue was moving against his that way.

He felt their bodies collide with the side of the bed. He finally tore his mouth away from hers, with much reluctance, and looked into her eyes. She was looking up at him with an innocence that threatened to be his undoing after what she had just been doing with her tongue. In a sudden move, he picked her up off the ground and laid her on the bed with as much grace as he could muster. He felt himself smile at the small squeak she let out at his actions.

He crawled up on the bed, positioning his body over hers. She looked up at him, her pupils blown. She was looking at him the same way she had in his office; her eyes filled with the tell-tale signs of want and need. Georg didn't stop the smug grin that fell on his lips as Maria bit her own lip again.

"Please, stop that," he whispered. Maria frowned a little, releasing her lip.

"Why?" she asked. Georg smiled before dropping a kiss on her lips.

"Because I would rather I do it," he muttered, nipping gently on her bottom lip. He heard a small groan come from her throat, and he was sure the sound would one day be the death of him.

He shifted down onto his forearms. He kept most of his weight off of Maria, but he could feel her body aligned so perfectly with his own. He raised his head and smiled down at her. Their noses were almost touching as her eyes roamed his face with a sort of tenderness Georg wasn't used to. It was such a contrast to the way she had looked at him when he had first entered the room. He felt a sense of pride in knowing that he was able to bring this side out of her – the side he suspected wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered as his fingers gently pushed a lock of hair back from her forehead. The look in her eyes shifted in that moment. She went from watching him with a tender curiosity to looking at him with an open vulnerability that made Georg's heart rate speed up dangerously.

He began to wonder how many times a man had pointed out her beauty to her. He doubted she had been told very often, by the way she eyed him, and it made his heart pang. She should be told daily just how beautiful she was. He made a mental note to remind her every time he got the chance.

His thoughts were cut off quite suddenly when he felt her hands slide up his chest. Her dainty fingers brushed gently against his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Holding his face in her hands, she brought his head down, her lips finding his once again. He couldn't help but smile against her lips. He felt every nerve in his body stand to attention when she kissed him. It was a feeling he could get used to quite quickly.

Her hands found their way into his hair once again. He briefly wondered if she might have a thing about his hair. The thought made him smile inwardly. He'd have to store that bit of information for later.

He drew his mouth away from hers after a moment. He heard her faint protest, but it quickly ceased as his lips came in contact with her throat. He pressed open mouth kisses along the column of her throat, stopping to trail his lips against her collar bone. When he had done this in his study, she had been exceptionally responsive, which pleased Georg greatly.

He felt one of her hands extricate from his hair, gripping at the jumper at his back instead. A soft moan escaped her lips as his lips found the soft spot between her shoulder and neck. Goosebumps prickled at his skin when her fingers lightly grazed the back of his neck. Her hands, though acting on their own accord, were doing wicked things against his body. It was ridiculous to him that even the most innocent touches from her could send a shot of desire straight through him.

His lips blazed a trail up her neck, stopping occasionally to nip at her soft skin. He kept the nips light, out of fear of marking her. Although, he thought, he wouldn't mind marking her for the world to see. He wouldn't mind seeing her walk past him in the hallway with his mark of claim on her throat. However, he wasn't sure Maria would appreciate the gesture. He certainly didn't want to frighten her off – not when he had just gotten through to her.

He vaguely felt her hands trail down his back as he sucked on a spot behind her ear. The effects of her hands were sinful. His body press further against hers, desperate for contact. When her fingers began to toy with the hem of his shirt, he moved back, shifting on to his knees.

He looked at her carefully while he kneeled above her. She stared back at him, her eyes looking at him with a dreamy sort of want in them, the blue of her irises nearly indistinguishable. He offered her a smile before pulling his jumper over his head, shrugging it off his arms. It landed somewhere next to the bed, but he couldn't quite bring himself to see where. His eyes remained on Maria's, gaging her reaction.

Her eyes scanned the newly exposed skin, taking in every contour of his body. Georg found he didn't mind her scrutiny. He slid back over her, and he found her hands eager to explore his skin. He shuddered as her fingers trailed along the length of his spine.

He brought his mouth back to hers, kissing her deeply, with everything he could. She kissed back in equal fervour, her tongue sliding over his in the most delicious way. Georg let a groan escape from his throat. For someone who didn't have much experience, she learned rather quickly – a fact that was sure to unravel him entirely.

He let his hand trail up her side, dipping under the hem of her t-shirt. His fingers ghosted up her side, over her ribs, higher and higher with agonizing slowness. It wasn't until his fingers came in contact with the side of her breast that he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. The realization drew a moan from him. His hips ground down on their own accord, causing Maria to gasp, no doubt feeling his desire for her against her own.

The small shocked sound rang in Georg's ears as he retracted his hips quickly and pulled his hand away from her entirely. His lips left hers as he panted softly against her, his eyes squeezing shut as he tried to regain some semblance of control. It was too much too fast, he knew that. Even if Maria wasn't about to push him away, he knew he had to stop. He had made the mistake of taking things too far earlier, and he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. He would wait until he knew she was more comfortable with him, until she wanted to take things further.

"I've, um, I've never, er," he heard her whisper breathlessly. Georg dropped his head to her shoulder. Pressing a gentle kiss against the fabric of her shirt.

"I know," he replied, his voice thick and hoarse. He carefully rolled off her, landing against the pillows on the other side of the bed. He stared up at the ceiling while he caught his breath, willing his body to calm down.

He glanced at Maria, who kept her eyes trained on the ceiling fan. Satisfied that she was lost in her own reflections for the moment, he carefully shifted the fabric of his increasingly tight jeans in an attempt to find some comfort. He found none. He shifted his eyes back up to the ceiling and tried to think of anything but the woman laying in bed next to him. His traitorous mind wouldn't allow it.

He gave up fighting it. He turned his head back to look at her. Her eyes remained on the ceiling above, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath. There was a pink tint to her cheeks, a hue he found he rather liked on her. Once again, her teeth chewed gently on her bottom lip, which he assumed was entirely subconscious, but it still drove him entirely mad.

"Maria," he breathed out, hoping to catch her attention. It worked, for she turned her head to look at him, her eyes bright. Georg gave her a soft smile. "Are you okay?"

She didn't reply verbally, but rather with a light nod of her head. He released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He didn't want to push her further than she was willing to go. He hadn't been aware about how terrified he was of pushing her too far until now.

"There, um, was more I meant to say," he said. Maria nodded again, shifting upward so that she was in a sitting position against the pillows. Georg followed suit, taking care not to accidentally touch her. He wasn't sure if he would be able to do much talking if he felt the sweet graze of her skin against his.

They sat in a strained silence for a moment. Neither quite knew what to say or how to start the conversation. There was so much to talk about, and yet, Georg couldn't quite find the words. He had only just been pouring his heart out to her, but he now seemed to not be able to form proper words.

"I think I've made it quite clear on where I stand," Georg said, eliciting a shy smile from Maria. "And I know you have a lot of doubts."

Maria's eyes flitted away from his. He knew he could have easily gotten away with not talking about the doubts that he knew were bouncing around in the back of her mind, but he wanted to address them. He couldn't leave without knowing that there was something he could pursue in the future. He wasn't sure if he could bear that kind of pain after knowing the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin.

"Maria, I don't want to keep pretending. I know there are several obstacles in the way, but I care about you far too much to let them get between us," he said gently. She faced him once again, and Georg could see the doubt forming in her eyes.

"I don't want to pretend either," she replied, her voice timid. Georg let a smile grace his lips. Even if she was having doubts, at least she didn't want to act like she didn't feel anything for him.

"I'm glad to hear that," he told her.

"What happens next?" she asked uncertainly.

"What do you want to happen?" he asked. Maria made no answer, she only watched him with a bewildered look. He kicked himself mentally. He should have known better than to ask. She probably wasn't sure what the appropriate response was, but in all fairness, neither did he. "I want to be with you, preferably all the time, but that's not feasible."

That elicited a soft smile from her, one that made Georg's heart swell.

"I'll talk to Elsa. I'll make sure she knows where I stand. I'd just rather do it in person," he explained quickly. He didn't really want to keep Elsa the subject of conversation for long.

"And the children?" Maria asked. Georg smiled.

"Your regard for my children is unbelievable," he said, grabbing her hand from where it sat between them and bringing it to his lips. "We don't have to tell them about this if you don't want to. We can keep it between us for now."

"And, erm, what exactly is this?" she asked in an unbearably shy way. Georg smiled. He remembered when Elsa had asked him the same question nearly a year ago. He had been terrified. He hadn't had an answer for Elsa. He didn't want to have an answer. With Maria, he didn't really have a clear answer either, but it wasn't out of fear or the lack of motivation to put a label on things. He interlaced his fingers with hers before placing a soft peck against the back of her hand.

"_This_ can be whatever we want it to be," he replied gently. She watched as her eyes scanned his skeptically. "We can take things slow and see how we feel."

"I've just never, um… Well, you see I haven't-," Georg cut her off by bringing a hand gently against her cheek.

"I know. It doesn't make a difference to me. In fact, you don't know how ecstatic I was to hear that I was the first man you'd ever kissed," he told her, a smug grin spreading across his face. Maria's eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked simply. He chuckled lightly.

"Well, after I got over the initial shock, yes. It means I don't have anyone to compete with," he said. Maria smacked his arm lightly and he laughed. He liked the ease between them.

Maria's lips quirked up into a bright smile at Georg. He smiled back, leaning over to place a peck on her nose. He watched her eyes drift shut as his lips came in contact with the tip of her nose. For a second, he was tempted to travel just a smidge lower to catch her lips with his, but he knew that if he did that, he likely wouldn't leave for a good, long time. He assumed it was getting quite late.

"I should probably go," he whispered, placing another peck on her nose before he turned away from her, grabbing his shirt off the floor. He shrugged back into the jumper before turning back to Maria.

"I'll see you in the morning?" he asked. Maria gave him another one of her dazzling smiles that made his heart jump.

"Yes," she replied. He smiled back at her, leaning in to peck her lips. Surely, despite his earlier beliefs, he could give her a quick goodnight kiss without things getting out of control, right? He was wrong.

As her lips met his, he found it nearly impossible to back away. He told himself that he would stay for one minute, and then he would have to leave. One minute turned into five. He knew he was ruined the minute she slid her tongue into his mouth. It was hard to believe that she had very little previous experience when she was already so talented at unhinging him. He liked that she was taking more initiative when kissing him. It shot a thrill through his veins.

He felt her hand come up to his neck, her fingers gently stroking at his jaw. Georg felt a shiver threaten to shoot down his spine. The effect her fingers had on him was dangerous.

"Maria," he muttered in between kisses. She hummed back in response, not letting up on her assault to his mouth. "You're making it difficult to leave."

"Then don't," she muttered back against his mouth. The words seemed to spur him on. He rolled them so that he was laying on top of her again, moving his lips back to her neck.

"I don't," he said, nipping at the side of her throat causing her to groan, "think that," another nip, another groan, "it's a," a nip with more pressure accompanied by a moan, "good idea."

He continued with his ministrations for another moment, thriving off the sounds she was making, before he sat up. Maria let out an exasperated sigh, shifting on to her elbows to look at him.

"See? I can't control myself around you. It's a bad idea for me to stay any longer," he said. Despite his words, he made no move to get up. In truth, he didn't want to leave. They had spent weeks dancing around these feelings, and now that they had both finally admitted to them, Georg didn't want to spend a second away from her. He was afraid that if he left and went back to his own room, he would wake up in the morning and find that it was all just a dream.

Maria sat up, her body dangerously close to his. Georg swallowed hard as he felt her breath whisper across his cheek. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. A part of him thought that she might act on a moment of courage in claiming his lips with hers. The other part of him thought she might tell him to go. He wasn't sure which option he would prefer. She surprised him by doing neither.

Maria grabbed his arm, pulling him down towards the bed next to her. When she laid down with her back to him, he got the idea. He laid behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling that sweet lavender mixed with vanilla scent that he had grown to associate with her.

"Are you sure you want me to stay?" he asked against the back of her neck. Maria placed her hand over the one that was resting on her waist.

"I've spent so long pushing everything I felt for you away. I just don't want to wake up and not know if this was a dream or not," she said quietly. Georg smiled and placed a kiss to the back of her neck.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," he told her. He knew he was both talking about that night, and for the foreseeable future that lay before them. He couldn't imagine wanting to leave her for some time. He knew what he felt ran deeper than just attraction, or lust, or fleeting romance.

He had been in love once. He knew the feeling well. The heart wrenching pain of wanting to give all of him to someone else, no matter the pain he might experience in the process. That's how he had known the difference between love and attraction with Elsa. He hadn't felt that gaping hole in his heart whenever he left her. He hadn't felt that hammering in his chest whenever she walked into a room. He hadn't felt the warmth that flooded through his body when she kissed him. He hadn't been willing to lay down everything for her.

Holding Maria in his arms now, he knew he would do anything to protect her. He felt both his mind and body fall into a state of serenity that was vaguely familiar. He could feel the broken pieces of him begin to heal and mend themselves anew. She was precious to him. He knew it wasn't just a feeling that would run its course in due time. He knew that both from the dreams he had of her from the moment they had met down to the way he couldn't seem to get enough of her.

He knew that what he was feeling was the point of falling in love with someone so entirely that it washed over his soul. Georg, the man that had been so broken from losing the first love of his life, was being given a second chance. He couldn't help but smile a little as he lifted his head to look at her. _Yes_, he thought, _I think I'm in love with her. _

Maria turned slightly in his arms to look up at him, scanning his eyes skeptically.

"What is it?" she asked. He didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked at her, capturing every contour of her face into his memory. He dropped a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I'm just happy," he whispered. He knew he could have told her his new revelations. He could have whispered three words softly in her ear to let her know how he really felt about her. But he wouldn't. Not yet. He doubted Maria had ever been in love, and he couldn't be entirely sure that she loved him. Having only just confessed possessing feelings for her, he doubted she would know how to react if he threw _love_ into the mix.

He made a decision then and there to spend his days making her fall in love with him. He would tell her how he felt in due time. They had all the time in the world, didn't they? He didn't have to rush things. He would just keep that bit of information to himself for now.

Maria gave him a sweet smile before turning back around and turning off the lamp that sat on her nightstand. She settled back into him as Georg tightened his grip ever so slightly. She felt soft and perfect in his arms. He felt a wave of serenity wash over him as he felt her hand rest over his once again.

"Goodnight, Maria," he whispered into the darkness.

"Goodnight, Georg," she replied. Hearing his name brought a grin upon his face. He liked the way it sounded coming from her lips.

He placed another kiss against the back of her neck and listened as her breathing began to even out. Once he was certain she was asleep, he closed his own eyes and let the blissful peace that came with holding her in his arms wash over him like a tidal wave. For the first time in years, Georg fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going to start off by apologizing for the long wait for this chapter. It was never my intention to keep any of you waiting this long. In all honesty, I've been having a rough couple of weeks. I haven't quite been feeling myself, and I've had a lot on my mind. I didn't have much motivation to write, and when I would force myself to sit down and work through this chapter, I often did not like what I was producing. I've rewritten parts of this chapter more times than I can count. What really took the most time with this chapter was my desire to be in a good writing mindset. I didn't want to post some half assed chapter that I wrote when I was dealing with a hundred other things. You guys have been so kind and so wonderful to me that I want to make sure that I'm giving you at least half decent content. **

**Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter. This chapter was entirely different in the outline, and that's one of other reasons this took so long. This is where the M rating was supposed to come in, but after talking to a good friend about it and looking over my notes, I decided it wasn't time. It turned into this fluffy mess instead. I know I've kept you guys waiting for 14 chapters, but it wasn't right. BUT there will be some steamy stuff coming up, don't you worry. There will also be some angsty stuff coming up. **

**I don't know how long it will be until the next update. I'm trying to stick to a schedule of updating at least once a week, but that is dependent on life. Sometimes life gets a little crazy, and sometimes I have absolutely nothing to do but write. Hopefully it will be soon because I've been generating a lot of ideas that I'm excited for you to read.**

**Once again, your words have been so kind and lovely. I've received so many wonderful comments over the last couple weeks, and they've warmed my heart. I'm glad that you are all enjoying this wild adventure so far, and I can't wait until the next chapter. Thank you for reading!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

It was funny how everything could change in the course of one day, Maria reflected as she stared blankly at an essay that Kurt had written. The smile on her face simply wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she willed it to. As hard as she tried to focus her attention solely on the children's work she most definitely should have had marked by now, her attention seemed to center around something, or someone, else entirely. Ocean blue eyes and a charming, if not a little too smug, grin had captivated her mind for much of the morning.

It was curious to Maria how much she had changed in the last twenty-four hours. How she felt in the present was a far cry from how she felt only the day before. Instead of confusion and hurt, she felt herself in a state of elation that she had never quite felt before. Her smile grew as she remembered the previous night, and the man who had seemingly changed everything.

The day before had seemed hopeless. Maria had been miserable after what had taken place in his study. She wasn't sure how she would be able to bear living under the same roof as him for the rest of the summer due to the utter confusion she was feeling regarding him. She had willed herself to forget what had happened, but her traitorous mind only brought back the memory of his lips against her skin, and the way his hands felt so gentle and warm as soft fingers explored her body. Her mind hadn't been able to focus on anything else for the rest of the evening. It was torture.

She had avoided him. She had needed to avoid him. Just looking at him was enough to bring tears of both frustration and hurt to her eyes. She couldn't understand what had happened. She couldn't understand why she had let him continue to kiss her even though she had concluded that it would be disastrous to the both of them.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She could understand that she felt something when he touched her, something she had never felt before. Every caress, every press of his mouth, was enough to set her nerves on fire. A part of her had never wanted him to stop. She had known that she felt something for him, it was clear in all the signs she had desperately tried to ignore; the hammering of her heart at the sight of him, the way her knees seemed to turn to jelly when he touched her, the magnetic pull she felt towards him whenever he entered a room.

She tried to bury the feelings. She couldn't feel anything for him. There were so many factors that she couldn't just ignore. He was her boss, she was looking after his children, they were from two completely different backgrounds, and most of all, Georg was in some sort of relationship with Elsa, whether he knew it or not.

Besides, despite her own feelings, she was not entirely sure what he felt. While he wasn't the type of man to go around seducing his children's governesses, it seemed absolutely out of the question to Maria that he felt anything but physical attraction for her. Not that she would know – she had limited experience with men, after all.

She was prepared to not speak of the incident again. She was prepared to keep a professional, if not more distant, relationship between them. She was prepared to deflect any sort of questions or comments he might make about the incident. She hadn't been prepared for him to approach her that night. Even so, she had told herself to stay strong in her resolve. However, she had failed miserably, and her resolve had began to deteriorate the moment she laid eyes on him.

When she had opened her door to find him standing there, a bundle of towels folded neatly under his arm, she had been at a loss for what to do. She knew why he was there, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the towels. After spending an entire evening building up her walls enough to protect herself from him, she had felt them crumbling down under the tender gaze of his eyes, projecting that he too was unsure of the next move.

She had tried to stay strong, she really had. She had convinced herself that nothing should ever happen between them again. She wanted him to leave, but he had been insistent, and she had been tired after the emotional toll the day had taken on her. She decided to hear him out, even if it was only to tell him off.

He was more severe than she had initially predicted. He asked questions that she wasn't sure how to answer. Maria was a lot of things, but she was certainly not a liar. When he asked why she had stayed in his study that morning, she couldn't find a suitable answer that didn't end in a blatant lie or the possibility of showing him what truly lie in her heart. She had tried to brush the question off, but she should have known better. Georg was persistent when he wanted to be.

The more he spoke, and the more his eyes watched her with an intensity that was sure to make her squirm, the further her walls came down. She couldn't explain it. There was something about the sincerity of his voice as he told her he didn't think that what happened had been a mistake that had given her a foolish sense of hope. As much as she didn't want to have feelings for him, the idea that he could have feelings for her made her heart beat twice as fast against her chest.

However, the hope that had been planted in her mind was not enough to make her ignore all the reasons that things shouldn't happen between them. She needed him to know that the children were very much a factor, and so was Elsa. She couldn't be with him if there was another woman involved. It wasn't fair to anyone.

She tried to stick to that resolve. She tried to remind herself that it wasn't fair to herself, Georg, or Elsa. But her resolve was slipping fast, and she knew when he had started talking about how she had changed things for him that she wouldn't be able to keep her control for much longer.

His admission of having feelings for her nearly swept her away. The idea seemed so absurd, so impossible, and yet, there he was standing before her and admitting to feeling something more than just attraction for her. And then he was asking if she felt the same. It had seemed pointless to lie to him when he had been so painfully honest with her. She found herself nodding in answer, and everything had shifted in the ground that lay beneath them.

The moment he placed her hand over his heart, she knew she was gone. There was nothing she could do to deny the way she felt about him. She was lost to the beat of his heart against her palm. She was lost to the way it hammered akin to her own. She was lost to the way his forehead fell gently against her own, and the way his breath whispered across her lips in a promise. She was entirely lost to Georg.

Everything had happened so quickly after that. She had known things were getting out of hand again, something that seemed to happen when she was with him, but she couldn't bring herself to mind. He felt like heaven as he held her, telling her that she was beautiful with such certainty, Maria knew she would be lost forever to him. As quickly as it had started, Georg stopped it in favour of addressing her doubts.

While she was still aware there were several obstacles between them, she was also aware that denying her feelings or the pull that lay between them was fruitless. He had convinced her entirely that he wanted to be with her, and that he would make things work between them. He had told her that he would make it clear where he stood with Elsa. He had told her that they would take their time to figure things out between them before they talked to the children. He had made everything seem much easier than it was.

She still had her doubts. She knew there was a lot they had to deal with. However, she didn't want to keep running from her feelings as she had for the past several months, and it seemed that Georg didn't want to either. She wanted to know where things would go with them. Her heart pleaded with her to let go of her doubts and allow her the happiness she could feel in the safety of his arms. Laying next to him as she fell asleep had put her at more peace than she could ever remember feeling. She trusted him when he told her that he would make things right and that they would figure everything out together.

Maria smiled down at the paper she hadn't really been reading. Figuring things out with Georg didn't seem so bad, she reflected, remembering earlier that morning. She had woken that morning to him kissing her neck, a sensation that at first startled her. Disoriented, she had nearly forgotten the night before and had possibly thought it had been a dream, but as he coaxed her out of sleep with the press of his mouth, she found she was quite happy to have been wrong.

When she turned around to find that he was indeed really there, looking down at her with an open admiration that threatened to be her undoing, she couldn't bring herself to remember her doubts. The man she was coming to adore was lying next to her, holding her gently to him, and that was all that seemed to matter in that moment.

She couldn't really say how long they had stayed in bed. She couldn't bring herself to care. He had kissed her over and over as if it was his mission to prove that the night before had been real. He had kept the kisses restrained enough as to not get out of control, but he let all his admiration and care for her seep through the gentle presses of his mouth.

It wasn't until Georg reluctantly announced that the children needed to get up soon that they got out of bed. With a fleeting kiss – or five – he left with a promise to see her at breakfast, leaving Maria in a daze. She had woken the children up with zombie-like movements, unable to keep her mind off the tingling she felt in her lips.

The children had looked at her as if she was crazy. They had noticed how tense she had been the night before, and no doubt they now wondered why their governess couldn't stop smiling. Maria tried to fight off her joyful smile in an attempt to appear normal, but the smile just wouldn't go away.

At breakfast, she was sure everyone would be able to see right through her. Once she had entered the dining room to find Georg already seated, her smile only widened. He had returned it with a smug grin of his own and a subtle wink that threatened to melt her heart. She vaguely wondered if she would be able to make it through breakfast.

The children seemed content with talking amongst themselves, but Maria, for the life of her, couldn't recall what the topic of conversation was. Her eyes continuously searched for Georg's across the table, and when he caught her eye, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Without speaking a word to her, he was able to convey everything he felt through smiles and looks. It was torture to be in the same room as him but have to keep everything she felt repressed. She marvelled at how well he seemed to handle it.

She thought she had been caught when Brigitta asked why her face was all red. Before Maria could even open her mouth to say anything, Georg asked with a cocky grin if she was perhaps coming down with something. The mischief in his eyes had been clear, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She could only muster a weak reply that perhaps she was coming down with something, but she felt fine in the moment. She could tell that Georg was chuckling to himself, even though he did his best to hide it behind his hand.

They had parted their separate ways at breakfast, but not before Georg had caught her hand after all the children had run out of the room, eager to start their studies. He had given her a quick, but powerful, kiss and told her he would see her later before leaving the room and leaving Maria incoherent for the next thirty seconds.

She wasn't entirely sure why Georg had such an effect on her, but Maria was becoming increasingly aware that she didn't mind at all. She liked the feelings of bliss and joy when she was with him. While she would rather that they were able to be open and honest with the children, she understood why they should wait, and she found the secrecy to be almost thrilling. With having little to no experience in such a situation, she found that keeping it between herself and Georg might prove to be beneficial. She wanted to really figure out what exactly she felt and where things might go before getting the children involved.

A buzz from her phone pulled Maria from her reverie. She picked it up off the desk and couldn't help the smile that widened across her face when she saw _Captain_ pop up.

_Captain: Could you come to my study for the moment? There's something I need to ask you. [Sent at 10:03 a.m.]_

Maria was a little caught off guard by the message. What would he need to ask her? And why didn't he ask her earlier? He had her alone after breakfast, couldn't he have talked to her then? She lifted her eyes to the seven children working diligently. Would it raise suspicions if she left?

_To Captain: Can it wait until lunch? [Sent at 10:05 a.m.]_

She wasn't sure that she wanted to go down there. She didn't want to tip off the children. While it could be entirely justified for their father to want to speak with their governess, Maria was sure they would be able to see right through it. She didn't have much time to contemplate it before another buzz sounded.

_Captain: It could, but I'd like to see you now. I miss you. [Sent at 10:06 a.m.]_

Maria fought the urge to laugh as she typed out a response.

_To Captain: You saw me less than two hours ago. [Sent at 10:07 a.m.]_

Maria had just put down her phone when the next message came in.

_Captain: Please? [Sent at 10:07 a.m.]_

Maria stared at her phone. For a man who was very in control and at times authoritative even, it was strange to have him plead with her. The smile widened on her face.

_To Captain: I'll be down in a few minutes, but I shouldn't stay long. [Sent at 10:09 a.m.]_

_Captain: I'll be on my best behaviour. [Sent at 10:09 a.m.] _

Maria smiled before shutting off her phone and rising from her seat.

"I'll be right back, children. You can take your break now if you want. You've all been working very well over the last hour," she told them. As expected, skeptical eyes rose to meet hers.

"Where are you going?" Marta asked. Maria tried to control her features as she spoke.

"Your father wants to discuss something quickly. I'll be back before you know it," she said, proud of the even tone of her voice.

"You said that yesterday," Brigitta pointed out. Maria stilled. "But you missed lunch."

Seven pairs of eyes were now fixed upon Maria. She felt her heart sink a little. Most of the children were rather observant, could they see something was going on? Did they somehow know what was happening?

"Brigitta, if father wants to talk to Maria, she shouldn't keep him waiting. I'm sure she will be back soon, right Maria?" It was Liesl's voice that spoke up. Maria glanced over at the girl. Despite her neutral tone, Liesl was giving Maria a look that suggested she knew something was going on, and that the conversation would not end there. Maria gave a nod.

"Yes, I'll be right back," she replied, avoiding Liesl's unnerving gaze. Before any further questions could come her way, Maria walked out of the room. The faster she got to Georg's study, the faster she would be back upstairs. If she was fast enough, perhaps the children wouldn't question her.

She walked hastily towards his study, stopping only when she reached the door. She knocked tentatively and waited to be let in. She didn't have to wait long at all. As soon as her knuckles touched the door, she was being pulled inside. She was hardly able to process what was happening before her back was against the door, and Georg's eyes were staring down at her.

"Hi," he said. His hands were positioned on either side of her head, trapping her between him and the door. Funny, she thought, she didn't really feel like she was trapped. The warmth that his body radiated was more inviting than suffocating.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly. He gave her one of his charming smiles before he leaned his head closer to her own, his lips brushing over hers.

"I did miss you," he told her. His face was still impossibly close, and she couldn't think a single coherent thought when the earthy scent of his cologne washed over her senses.

"I-It's only been two hours." She cursed herself for stammering, but she couldn't help that her brain seemed to turn to mush around him. Georg pecked her lips.

"Yes, but you see," he started before placing another kiss against her lips – this time with a little more pressure, "now that I can kiss you, it's all I can think about."

If Maria's heart hadn't already been about to beat right out of her chest, it certainly would now. He kissed her again, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Maria responded eagerly, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. She couldn't seem to get enough of him. Everything was so new, and although she didn't have much experience, she knew she really enjoyed kissing him.

Just as earlier that morning, he kept his kisses light and gentle, showing a restraint he seemed to have possessed overnight. His hands came down to rest on her waist, pulling her gently to him. He traced light circles with his thumbs over her t-shirt, an innocent action that was doing sinful things to Maria's body.

He broke away to press his lips against her cheek, making his way to her jaw and down her neck. She struggled to remember why she had come down her in the first place. She could vaguely remember his text message.

"Georg?" she asked. Her voice sounded distant to her ears.

"Hm?" he muttered into her neck. She didn't answer right away, taking a moment to find her words as he nipped the side of her throat.

"What, um, was it that you wanted to ask me?" she questioned, focusing her energy on her current line of thought and trying not to get distracted by the heat of his mouth.

"Ask you?" he repeated against her throat. He moved down an inch, reaching her collar bone. Maria's fingers tightened in his hair in response.

"You said to come down her to, erm, ask me something?" Her voice was small as he nipped at her collar bone. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he kept his attention firmly on her skin and the best way to elicit gasps from her throat. Maria struggled to keep focused as his tongue swept just under her collar bone. "Georg?"

His head slowly rose, his eyes meeting her own. He gave her a devilish smile before kissing her lips once again. This wouldn't work, she told herself, she couldn't think while his skillful lips were moving against hers like that. One of her hands left his hair, resting against his chest to push him back. He moved back without any resistance and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I told the children I would be right back," she told him quietly. Georg's smile fell slightly, but he nodded all the same.

"Right, yes. I wanted to ask you if you would accompany into town with the children this afternoon," he said, his voice just a smidge lower than when she had entered the study.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Going into town sounded like a splendid way to spend the afternoon, but as Georg was a stickler for the children's studies and required reading, she wondered what had brought this on.

"Well, I told Mrs. Schmidt last night that I was coming up to your room to ask you if you wanted to go into town today. However, the question seemed to have slipped my mind," he said, sporting another devilish grin. Maria couldn't help but return the smile.

"I would love to," she replied.

"I was thinking that we could go after lunch," he suggested.

"What about required reading?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We can skip it today," he said with a shrug. "I think they deserve a day out. They do work rather hard most days."

"Won't we have to take two cars?" she questioned.

"I can have Franz drive you, Marta, Gretl, and Liesl into town. I'll take Kurt, Louisa, Brigitta, and Friedrich. I can just call Franz when we're done," he replied. Maria resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I _can _drive, you know," she told him. Georg raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Promise you won't scratch my Mercedes?" he asked. This time, she didn't resist rolling her eyes at him.

"I promise," she replied. He gave her a boyish grin, the one that made her heart pump furiously.

"I trust you," he said, his eyes conveying the power behind those three words. She gave him a small smile back, taken back by the uninhibited way he watched her.

"I really should go back upstairs and tell the children," she whispered, a part of her feeling the sorrow of parting ways with him creep into her veins. Everything between them was so new, like a spark catching wood, and she couldn't get enough of the feeling of fire igniting her bones when she was with him.

"Yes, I suppose you should," he replied, his voice low. His eyes were transfixed on hers, and Maria wasn't sure she could move. She felt frozen in place when he looked at her with such wanting in his eyes.

"I'll see you in a couple of hours," she told him. Georg nodded, lifting a hand up to rest against her cheek. She leaned further into the warmth of his palm and watched a smile form on his lips. He brought his face towards hers again at an agonizingly slow pace. When his lips touched hers finally after seconds of anticipation, she felt the sparks ignite throughout her body. He was incredibly gentle, only applying light pressure, but it drove Maria mad all the same.

Respecting that she had to leave, he pulled back before he could linger too long. Maria opened her eyes to find his already watching her with a tender gaze. He gave her another soft smile before backing away completely, letting his hands slip over her body. He took two steps back in order to put distance between them.

"Enjoy the rest of your morning," he said, a softness seeping through his tone that made her dizzy.

"You too," she replied in a daze. With one last lingering look at Georg, committing every feature to memory, Maria turned towards the door and opened it with a quivering hand.

She walked on unsteady legs back to the study room. On her way, she marvelled at the way Georg was able to unhinge her entirely without doing more than pressing a simple kiss on her lips. As she walked up the stairs, she brought her fingers up to touch her lips, feeling the tingle that went through them. She smiled to herself and wondered if it was always that way between two people.

"Maria!" Gretl's squeal of delight shook Maria from her daze. Each of the children looked up as she entered the study room, giving her big smiles.

"I told you I'd be right back," Maria said, patting the youngest girl on the head.

"What did father want?" Louisa asked.

"He wanted to know if you all wanted to go into town today," Maria told them. She watched as the children looked excitedly between each other.

"Are you going to come with us this time?" Brigitta asked. Maria nodded and got several shouts of excitement in return.

"We will go after lunch, but until then, you need to work hard. We won't be doing required reading this afternoon," she announced. The children looked pleased with that information, especially Kurt, whose favourite words were _lunch_ and _no required reading_.

After being gently hushed to go back to work, the children focused on their studies with the promise of an eventful afternoon before them.

* * *

The children were nearly bouncing in their seats at lunch with the excitement that the afternoon held. They were both ecstatic that they would be able to spend their afternoon outdoors in the city of Salzburg, as well as overjoyed to spend time with their father. It was endearing to Maria just how excited they were to get to spend time with their father. After watching him revert back into himself for the past several days before the party, it was a charming idea to picture him with his children once again.

Maria knew Georg felt guilty about treating his children so icily over the past days. While he hadn't been as cold and stern as he had several weeks ago, the children had seen that stony mask slide back on their father's face, and that deeply bothered Georg. Maria could see it in his eyes when he joined them for lunch. He held so much remorse for the past five years, and now he felt as if he had slipped back into his old ways, even if it was only for a few days. She could see the pained glint in his eye when he didn't think anyone was looking, and it broke her heart.

Once Georg excused everyone from the table to get ready to leave, Maria walked up to him, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. He turned to look at her, his eyes brightening slightly.

"You know they love you, right?" she asked. Georg nodded solemnly. He cast his eyes down to where her hand rested before placing his hand over hers.

"I know. I just wish I knew how to stop disappointing them," he replied.

"They aren't disappointed. Especially now. They are excited to get to spend the day with you. One day isn't enough to wipe the past away, but it's enough for them right now," she told him. He glanced up at her skeptically.

"How did you get to be so wise?" he asked. Maria gave him a bright smile and watched as his eyes lowered to her lips briefly.

"Some just call me naïve," she replied. Georg let out a deep laugh that Maria could feel in her bones.

"Those people are the naïve ones," he told her, bringing her hand to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles. She felt her breath hitch as his lips gently pressed against her skin. He must have heard it because he started chuckling lightly.

"We should get ready to go," he said. Maria nodded her agreement. He placed another gentle kiss to the back of her hand before releasing it. They both ventured out into the foyer where six joyful faces waited for them.

"Where's Friedrich?" Maria asked, noticing the missing boy.

"He's looking for his headphones," Louisa said, rolling her eyes.

"It's a twelve-minute drive, does he really need his headphones?" Georg asked.

"He says you only listen to old music," Marta replied. Kurt let out a giggle while Maria tried not to laugh. She hadn't really had the opportunity to hear what Georg had on his playlist, but the children had informed her that most of it was wildly outdated.

"Is that what he thinks?" Georg asked, raising an eyebrow. The telltale sound of footsteps turned everyone's attention to the landing above where Friedrich was emerging from his room. He made his way down the stairs but stopped wide eyed when he realized that all eyes were on him.

"Friedrich, you get shotgun. You can hook your phone up and play music that's not so, ahem, old," Georg said. The young man looked up at his father with bright eyes.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief as if the idea that his father would open his mind to any other music options was impossible.

"Really. Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, you are also with me. Liesl, Gretl, and Marta go with Maria," he said. The children nodded before walking through the door and heading in the direction of the garage. Maria and Georg trailed behind them.

"I think that meant a lot to him," Maria said as she fell into step with Georg.

"I just really hope he doesn't listen to any death metal," he said as he scratched behind his ear. Maria let out a light laugh.

"Where should we meet?" she asked.

"I was thinking we could meet at that little café a couple blocks away from Mirabell Gardens and then walk over there. The children seemed to really like walking around the gardens the last time I took them," he said. Maria nodded and smiled at the idea. When she had lived near Salzburg when she was younger, she had loved walking through the gardens too.

"That sounds nice," she commented. He shot her a sheepish smile as they entered the garage. He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a set of keys. He held them out to her.

"Drive safe, okay?" he said. Maria gave him a small smile before reaching out to take the keys from his hand. She let her fingers linger on his for a second more than necessary.

"You too," she said. He returned her smile before tearing his gaze away from her and walking over to one of two black Mercedes. Maria turned towards the second car and hopped in the driver's seat. Gretl and Marta were already settled in the back, playing with their dolls while Liesl was fastening her seatbelt in the passenger seat.

"Are we ready?" Maria asked. She received two very enthusiastic squeals from the backseat that made her smile. She looked over to Liesl who gave her a nod and a smile. Fastening her seatbelt and starting the engine, Maria began to pull out of the garage after Georg. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Liesl switched the radio station to the kids' channel.

The first two minutes of the drive were relatively quiet except for the quiet hum of poppy kid's songs and Marta and Gretl's voices, which were very invested in their dolls. It wasn't until Maria turned on to the main road that Liesl spoke up.

"Maria?" her voice was soft and sweet.

"Yes, Liesl?" Maria replied. There was a pause before Liesl spoke again.

"Is there something going on between you and father?" The question very nearly made Maria jump, but she steadied her hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to crash Georg's car.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she replied. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Had Liesl seen something? Or heard something? What would make her think that anything was going on? Maria couldn't very well lie to the young woman beside her. Their relationship, and what Maria considered to be a blossoming friendship, had been built entirely on trust between the two. Maria had made it clear to Liesl that she trusted her and that she could trust Maria in return.

"Well, you seemed quite cross with him yesterday. I thought maybe he had said something to upset you, but this morning you were looking at him differently," Liesl explained. Maria tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She glanced in the rear-view mirror to make sure that Gretl and Marta were still preoccupied with themselves.

"Differently?" Maria asked. She was unsure of what else to respond with. She was tempted to just come right out and say it, but she had agreed with Georg that they would wait until he was able to talk to Elsa before they said anything to the children.

"You blushed every time you looked at him," Liesl said blankly. Maria took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. She had known Liesl was observant, but she had underestimated just how much. She wondered if any of the other children suspected anything. She doubted it. They might have caught on to the looks at breakfast, but she doubted that it made any difference to them, except perhaps Brigitta who was mature beyond her years.

"And your face was all red when you came back up to the study room this morning," Liesl spoke again, cutting off Maria's thoughts. "He looks at you differently too, but he has for a while."

"He has?" Maria asked breathlessly. She could see Liesl's smirk out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes. He changes when you come into a room. And I noticed the last time we went out without you that he was glued to his phone most of the morning. He doesn't often text people, unless it's for work, but texts from work don't make him smile like that," Liesl replied.

Maria felt the breath robbed from her lungs at that statement. Yesterday she had been contemplating about how Georg was likely only physically attracted to her or looking for a way to fill a void. Hearing from Georg that he had feelings was one thing, hearing from an outside source that he had been less than subtle about his feelings was entirely breathtaking.

"I think I have my answer," Liesl said. Maria could hear the satisfaction in her voice. "You're blushing again."

"Liesl I-."

"You don't have to explain yourself," Liesl cut her off. "I understand, and your secret is safe with me."

Maria spared a glance over at the young woman beside her. Liesl sent an encouraging smile in her direction.

"Thank you, Liesl," Maria said quietly.

"He seems happier when you're around. I like to see him happy," Liesl replied. Maria smiled. Liesl really was an intelligent young woman, Maria had known that for a long time. But Liesl always seemed to astound Maria with her maturity and her perceptiveness. It was easy at times to forget the girl was only sixteen.

"I like to see him happy too," Maria said. She caught Liesl's grin from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile. She had been worried that perhaps the children wouldn't be open to the idea of their father being involved with anyone, given their hostility towards Elsa, but Liesl didn't seem upset in the slightest. It warmed Maria's heart and gave her a brief sense of hope for the future when she and Georg would be able to share with the children.

"Any word from Rolf?" Maria asked, changing the topic. She had been meaning to ask Liesl for a few days about her situation with Rolf, but everything had seemed so chaotic lately. However, Rolf had seemed to be rather on and off with Liesl and it concerned Maria. Liesl was clearly head over heels for the boy.

"Briefly. He asked what I was doing this weekend," Liesl replied. Maria nodded.

"What did you tell him?" Maria asked.

"I told him I would probably be busy with my studies," Liesl said. Maria glanced over at her.

"Did he want to do something with you this weekend?" Maria inquired. Liesl shrugged.

"He said there was this movie that he wanted to see coming out this weekend. He wanted to see if I could go with him," the young woman replied.

"And you told him no?"

"Father would never let me go," she replied solemnly.

"What makes you say that?" Maria asked.

"I love father dearly, but sometimes he thinks we're just as he left us five years ago. I think he still thinks I'm eleven and completely unknowing about the world," Liesl said. Maria understood where the girl was coming from. She had seen that Georg had the tendency to treat the children as if they were far younger than they were. He set strict rules that applied to all of them. While he had gotten better about it, she could still tell he had issues with accepting how much his children had grown up, especially his oldest who arguably had to grow up the fastest.

"Why don't you ask Rolf if he still wants to see that movie. I'll talk to your father," Maria said. She knew it would be a bold move. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries with Georg's children, but she also wanted to see Liesl happy. If she could help to find an understanding between them, she would be happy with that.

"Really?" Liesl asked.

"I'll talk to him, but I can't make any promises. If he says no, I can't try to force his hand," Maria replied as she pulled up to the little café. She was pleased to see that there were several parking spaces free. She pulled into the spot next to Georg, who was already leaning against the car with sunglasses perched on his nose. Maria glanced at the time. She had made it there in exactly twelve minutes, how had he beaten her?

"Oh, thank you Maria!" Liesl exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. Maria let out a light laugh.

"Don't thank me yet," Maria replied as she turned off the engine. "Girls, we're here."

"I see father!" Gretl exclaimed as she waved out the window. Maria unfastened her seatbelt as Georg approached the car. He opened one of the back doors.

"Hello, darlings," he said as he extricated Gretl out of the car. Marta unfastened her seatbelt and exited out of the car, running up to hug her father's leg. Maria closed the car door and looked over the top of the car to find Georg's eyes already on hers.

"What took you so long?" he asked with a smirk. Maria raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was doing the speed limit," she replied. Georg gave a hearty laugh at that.

"Okay, let's go to the gardens. Friedrich, Kurt, I believe you know the way. Would you be so kind as to guide us?" The boys nodded eagerly before taking off down the sidewalk through a crowd of people. Louisa and Brigitta followed them while Liesl collected the two youngest on either side of her and began walking. Liesl threw a knowing look in Maria's direction as she left the two adults behind.

Maria and Georg fell in step together as they trailed behind the pack.

"Did Friedrich end up playing death metal?" Maria asked after a moment.

"No. He played some sort of folksy band that he said he really liked. I didn't mind it actually," he replied. "I promised Brigitta that she could play her music on the way back."

"It's a good way to get to know them," she said. Georg nodded.

"Lord knows I could use all the education I can get on my children," he said, a bitter note in his tone. Maria glanced up at him.

"It'll take time, but they don't hold it against you," she told him.

"I wish I could say the same for myself," he replied. He sounded almost helpless. Maria wished she could say something encouraging to get him out of the dark place his mind was at, but she knew he would have to get there on his own. She could tell him over and over again that his children loved him and didn't resent him for when he was grieving, but he had to realize that for himself. Her words could only go so far.

"How was the drive?" he asked after a moment. Maria frowned slightly, unsure if she should tell Georg what she and Liesl discussed.

"It was fine," she said. She could hear the strain in her voice, and she knew Georg heard it too when he looked over at her. "Liesl knows."

"Knows what?" he asked. She didn't miss the slight anxiety in his tone when he asked.

"About us," she replied quietly. She heard him curse under his breath.

"How? Nothing happened until yesterday," he stated. Maria nodded in agreement.

"She knew before that, apparently. We aren't as subtle as we think," she told him. She was surprised to hear Georg laugh.

"I suppose not. Was she upset?" he asked.

"No. She seemed oddly okay with everything," she replied quietly.

"I thought she might be," he said. Maria could see the gardens just around the corner at the end of the street. The sight made her smile.

"You thought she would be okay with us?" she asked. Georg nodded.

"The children adore you, Maria. They think the world of you," he told her. Maria frowned.

"Well, as a governess yes. But it's different when you and I are…" she struggled to find the word.

"When you and I are?" he asked. Although he was wearing sunglasses, Maria could tell that there was a teasing question in his eyes.

"Involved," she replied, settling on a word. Georg chuckled, and she heard him repeat the word quietly to himself.

"They love you, and I don't think us being involved is going to change that," he told her as they walked on the path of the gardens. She was doubtful of his words. Liesl might have taken it well, but what about the rest of the children? They loved their mother so much, and Maria didn't want them to feel like she was coming in to replace her. She chastised herself. She was getting too far ahead of herself. Her and Georg hadn't really even defined their _involvement_ yet.

"Stop worrying," he said. Maria glanced over at him and watched a smirk spread across his face. "You get this crease between your forehead when you start worrying about things."

"But I am worried," she replied.

"You have nothing to worry about. Remember, we are taking this slow. I know there's a lot we have to figure out still, but we will figure it out together. You're not alone in this," he said. Maria gave him a small smile. She still had her doubts, but she trusted Georg. As if sensing these doubts, Georg brushed the back of his hand against hers, letting the back of his fingers catch hers for a moment before releasing them. The action was small but reassuring to her.

"There was something I had to ask you," she said, as she caught a glimpse of Liesl sitting at the fountain as Marta and Gretl looked awestruck at it.

"Ask away," he said with a small smile.

"Liesl mentioned that a friend of hers wanted to go to a movie with her this weekend," Maria started gently. She was about to continue, but she was cut off by a groan from Georg.

"It's not that Rolf boy, is it?" he asked. Maria looked at him bewildered.

"You know about him?" she inquired.

"Unfortunately. I may not have been all there for five years, but I'm not blind. His father works in the postal service and got Rolf a job on our route. Franz informed me that he caught Liesl sneaking out into the yard to meet him one night. In fact, I caught him lurking around the yard one afternoon not too long ago outside Liesl's bedroom window," he said bitterly.

"That's why he started to talk to her less," Maria said, more to herself than the him. He turned towards her.

"Clearly, he hasn't stopped talking to her enough if he's asking her to go to the movies," he said, the bitter note in his voice turning darker.

"Oh, but Liesl's crazy about him. A movie wouldn't hurt, would it?" she asked softly. She could see the muscles in his arm tense at the suggestion. She suddenly regretted bringing it up. She didn't want to make him angry on a nice outing with the children.

"She's just a child. Running around with boys isn't going to do anything but cause her pain," he replied. She could tell he was struggling to keep his tone even while he watched Kurt and Friedrich taking pictures of a bird.

"She's sixteen, she's not a child. She needs some independence," Maria told him quickly. She cursed herself for speaking without thinking. It wasn't her place to tell him how to parent his children. If he wasn't angry already, she was sure her words would have done the trick. She braced herself for impact but was surprised when he stayed silent.

Georg kept walking while Maria trailed beside him. His silence almost seemed deadlier than his words. At least if he argued with her, she would know where she stood. But he said nothing, instead opting to walk silently, giving no indication of his feelings in the moment.

"Georg, I'm sorry. I shouldn't tell you how to act with your children," she told him quietly, hoping her apology would be accepted. Given how new this thing between them was, she didn't want to ruin it right off the bat with her outspokenness. Georg gave a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"No, you're right. She'll be seventeen soon. I shouldn't keep her under lock and key. I just don't want to see her get hurt," he replied.

"I know you don't, but that's how we learn, right?" she asked gently. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye before she spotted Brigitta and Louisa joining Liesl, Marta, and Gretl by the fountain. The youngest three waved enthusiastically at the two adults. Georg and Maria both waved back before Georg stopped and turned towards Maria.

"She can go, but I want to meet him first," he said. Maria gave him a big smile.

"Liesl will be thrilled," she told him. She watched a reluctant smile spread across his face as he looked towards his daughters, who were beckoning the adults over.

"Yes, well, if he hurts her, she's never leaving the house again," he said. Maria let out a light laugh as they began walking in the direction of the five girls.

The rest of the afternoon was one in which Maria would call blissful. After walking around the gardens for a while, the nine of them embarked onto the streets where the children insisted on going into each shop to look around. Maria was constantly being called over to look at neat little knick-knacks by each of the children, while Georg's attention was taken up by the boys who were trying to explain the newest video game they wanted to their father in an attempt to persuade him to buy it for them.

After just over an hour of venturing into shops, and Georg finally giving up and buying the boys the video game they wanted, Kurt declared that he was hungry, which came as a shock to no one. The walked back to the little café they had parked at to eat. Sitting seven children and two adults to a table was tricky, but luckily the café wasn't busy at all. With a few tables pushed together, the children were set with the pastries of their choice, while Georg and Maria settled on an afternoon tea.

Maria hadn't missed the way Georg strategically placed himself next to her. As the children's focus remained on devouring their pastries at impressive speed, Maria felt Georg's hand catch hers under the tablecloth, interlacing their fingers without raising any suspicion. She had felt her cheeks begin to burn at the contact and tried covering up by taking a sip of her tea; however, when she raised her eyes once again, she was met with a knowing smile across the table from Liesl.

After the teas had been finished, and Kurt's stomach was temporarily sated, the group set off to head back home. Maria's drive was filled with excited exclamations from the two girls in the back, raving about the fun they had out with their father and their governess. It brought a smile to Maria's face that the girls seemed to have had fun. They had particularly enjoyed when Georg gave them each piggy-back rides in the gardens, though Maria didn't miss the small twinge of pain in Georg's face when he later stretched his back.

Upon arriving home, the boys begged their father to play their new video game, to which Georg conceded at record speed. The girls wanted to go outside, which Maria was more than glad to join them as the sun was beaming and there were few clouds in the sky. It really was a beautiful day.

Georg asked Liesl to stay behind, and Maria presumed it was to speak about Rolf. She smiled inwardly. Georg had progressed so much, not only as a father but as a man. Perhaps it was because she now knew the taste of his lips and the warmth of his skin, but he seemed softer somehow. He was less of the stoic, closed off man she had come to work under. He had transitioned into a kind and gentle soul, even regarding his children. While he still had moments where he could be a bit gruff and stern on the outside, he showed more of his heart than Maria believed he had in a long time.

Before long, Georg interrupted the game of tag the girls and their governess had been entangled in to announce that dinner would be in fifteen minutes. The girls ran inside to wash up, while Georg lingered on the patio stairs, his eyes focused on Maria.

Despite herself, she could feel the blush creep onto her cheeks. He wasn't doing anything but looking at her, and yet, it was enough to heat the skin of her cheeks.

"I talked to Liesl," he told her as she approached the stairs. Maria gave him a small smile.

"How did it go?" she asked. Georg shrugged nonchalantly.

"As well as you'd expect. I told her she could go, so long as she brought him over so I could formally meet him. She seemed to be okay with that understanding," he replied. Maria gave him another smile as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He began to descend the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace. "She brought you up."

"She did?" she asked. She was a little unsure of what capacity in which Liesl would bring her up. While she was sure it wasn't bad, she felt the nerves in her stomach all the same.

"She did. She said that she liked that you made me happy," he said, coming to stand in front of her. He was wearing that charming half smile that made Maria's knees go weak.

"She said that?" she asked, feeling her mouth go dry when he glanced at her lips.

"Yes, and I can't say that her observation is wrong," he told her, a hand coming up to cup her face. "You do make me happy, and today was incredible."

"It was fun," she commented, her mind clouding over at his proximity. Georg gave her a smile before leaning in slowly. She stopped him by bringing her hand up to his chest. "Someone could see us."

"We have about five minutes before Kurt runs out to tell us to hurry up and get to the dinner table," he whispered. He maintained the distance between them, leaving the choice to Maria. She knew he wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable. If she didn't want to risk them being seen, he wouldn't advance further. But with the way he was staring at her as if she was made of glass, and the feel of his breath against her skin, she couldn't resist.

She slowly closed the gap between them, pressing her lips against his. She felt him smile briefly under her lips before he deepened the kiss ever so slightly. Knowing they were in a tricky predicament, both kept the kiss sweet and slow without losing too much control. But Maria had realized she had missed the feel of him. It was crazy, she reflected, how much she constantly wanted him to kiss her. Being someone who had limited experience with kissing, she was surprised at just how much she enjoyed it.

When Georg gently pulled away, Maria swore it couldn't have been more than a minute that they had been standing there. He backed away to put some distance between them while giving her a satisfied smirk. As if on cue, Kurt emerged through the doors.

"Father, Maria, it's dinner time," he exclaimed before turning back through the doors, presumably running towards the dining room. Georg rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile planted on his face.

"Shall we?" he extended his arm in the direction of the stairs.

"I suppose we should, before Kurt starves to death," she replied. Georg chuckled, and together they ascended the stairs. They walked in a companionable silence up the stairs and across the terrace. Neither had to say a word. The day had been beautiful in all regards, and they were both satisfied just being in each other's presence.

Georg looked over at Maria and gave her a gentle smile as he signaled for her to go through the door first. She obliged, her heart pounding twice as fast when she felt his hand on the small of her back as she walked through. As the made their way to the dining room, the distant sounds of the children talking sounding through the air, she felt her doubts leave her.

For the first time in a long time, Maria was uncertain about the future, but she was okay with that. She knew whatever was in store, she would have Georg by her side, and that was a comfort in itself.

If only it would last.

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**A/N: Hello! I'm sorry that it took me forever to get this chapter up. I've been lacking the motivation to write over the last little bit. A lot of it stemmed from having a general idea of where this story was going, but not really having a cemented idea about how to execute it. Over the past week, more of my focus went into developing the next several chapters, and boy, do we have a lot in store for us. (Just to give you an idea of what's in store, I have a chapter in the near future that's labelled as Everything Goes to Hell in Roughly 10,000 Words. Do with that what you will.)**

**This chapter was quite the predicament. It was one really fluffy chapter that had a filler-ish vibe. But it's a steppingstone onto our next chapter which I'm really excited to write. However, I did like this chapter because it was just Georg and Maria having a peaceful day; no angst, no drama, no repressing the feelings. If only every chapter could be this pure.**

**Now that I've gotten a majority of the plot cemented and several outlines written up, I'm hoping my updates will become more frequent again. However, I do have a birthday coming up over the next week which means a good deal of family commitments. With that being said, I do have a bit of the next chapter written up, and it's going to be a big one. But I think I sense a rating change coming as well. Will next chapter finally be the chapter? Stay tuned.**

**Thank you to everyone who has followed this journey and continues to follow it. Once again, all of your comments on the last chapter had me smiling, and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I can't wait for you wonderful people to read the next chapter. **


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**A/N: If you didn't notice the rating change, we are working with a hard M now. All I have to say is that I'm so sorry.**

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Broken, battered, bruised, and beaten – all terms Georg had come to recognize within himself in the years after Agathe's passing. In the course of five years, he had become a shell of the man he had once been. He had been empty, unfulfilled, destroyed to his core. He had become a monster of himself; a man whose very soul was crushed by the weight of his grief, remorse, and broken heart.

He had pushed most everyone away, his own kin included, in the belief that he was better off alone. The relationships he had held were empty and devoid of real emotion or feeling. In fact, Georg had believed he couldn't feel anymore, besides the fury and hatred that brewed beneath the surface; he had become numb.

The cards that life had dealt him had left him without hope. In his mind, he had already lost. He was lost. A broken man travelling a dark, broken path without hope of ever finding light. He had found spots of light coming through the cracks of the dam he had built around his heart, and for a while, it had been enough. The small beams of light had been enough for him to see, to know his heart was still beating in his chest. The cracks of light were enough to convince him to keep marching on, to keep breathing.

He had come to terms with the fact that these little cracks in the dam he built around his heart – Max's friendship, Elsa's charms, the peaceful memories of a better time that his mind conjured up in the dead of night – were the best he was going to get. He had come to terms with the idea that the rest of his life would be lived out as a shell of a man who had once known more happiness than he likely deserved. He had come to terms with his situation and the loss that he had suffered so acutely that it scorched his very soul.

However, he hadn't expected that he might feel that happiness again. He hadn't expected to feel the storm within him to die, and when the dust settled, a sunlight so radiant and warm would wash over him and remind him what it felt like to be alive. He hadn't expected to be revived from the comatose way he had spent the past five years of his life by a woman he had met under the most unsavoury circumstances. He hadn't expected to not only live but _want_ to live.

Broken, battered, bruised, and beaten had been what he believed himself to be before Maria had waltzed into his life and cast a spell on him that made everything brighter. Whereas the world had seemed dull and grey before, he could see colours more vibrant and more beautiful that ever before. Whereas little things were able to crack the dam, Maria had somehow made the whole structure collapse, allowing a waterfall of everything he had repressed to flow free.

Over the past week, Georg had become more aware of the joy Maria had brought to him. He became aware that her touch ignited a fire within him that he thought had died out when Agathe had passed. He became aware that her eyes were the river that calmed him and brought him back to earth, that brought him back _home_.

Though everything was still so fresh between them, Georg knew he owed this woman his life. She had saved him. She had pulled him off the cliff he had been standing on for five years. She had taught him that he was still alive and that the numbness running through his veins was of his own making. She taught him how to breathe again, how to feel again, how to love again.

He had known the night that she had fallen asleep in his arms that she had him – mind, body, and soul. There wasn't a thing he wouldn't do for the woman who had reconnected him with his children and made his house a home. She had given him the greatest gift – the gift of life. Where he had felt more or less like a walking corpse before she came along, he now felt alive, and it was intoxicating.

She made everything better. She made him better. He strived to be the man she deserved, the man she would always deserve. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy. He wanted to bring her the joy that she had brought to him. He wanted to bring her the love that she had brought to him.

As he sat at his desk in his study, he shook is head, a smile poised on his face. He knew he had fallen for her. While it seemed ridiculous to have fallen for her in such a short amount of time, it didn't matter. He had been lost to her the moment his lips met hers at that ghastly nightclub, he had just been too broken to realize it.

The past week had only confirmed his feelings. Every moment spent with her reaffirmed the message he knew to be true in his heart; the stone-cold Georg von Trapp had fallen in love again. He wasn't sure he would ever fall in love again. He thought it was impossible. He had loved his dear Agathe so deeply that finding love in someone else had been out of the question. He supposed that life worked in funny ways. Just when he was at terms that he would live his life in the independent bubble he had stuck himself in, Maria had walked into his life and completely changed his world.

Despite these realizations, Georg was determined to keep them to himself. While he knew what love felt like, he doubted that Maria did. She was so new to the concept of a relationship that he doubted she would know how to react if he sprung the word 'love' on her. No, he had stuck to the resolve he had made when he fell asleep with her in his arms for the first time; he would do everything he could to have her reciprocate his feelings before he told her the depth of what he felt for her.

His plans had been going rather smoothly, he reflected. The two of them had spent the week enjoying the new feelings they were able to admit to. While they weren't quite able to be open about them with the rest of the world, Georg had found that they made do just the same.

Most days were spent with the children. In an attempt to make up for the week that Georg had reverted to his old ways, he spent as much time as he could with his children to make up for the suffering they might have felt. It certainly didn't hurt that Maria was also present when he spent time with his children.

There were also moments where Georg would catch Maria alone. Whether it was after the children had gone to bed, or passing her in an empty corridor, he didn't waste a second. Often times, they would just talk. They talked about the children, the books they loved, Maria's time at school, or Georg's time in the navy. He found that when it came to Maria, he could never get enough. He found himself yearning to learn all that he could about her.

There were other moments, however, where not much talking was done. There was one afternoon that he caught Maria in the hallway, on her way back down to the children. He had wasted no time in pulling her into the nearest room and kissing her like his life depended on it. He couldn't get enough of the way she felt against him or the way she responded so eagerly to his touch.

Their physical relationship had been restrained; Georg had made sure of it. He clung desperately to his control when he was with her. He refrained from letting his hands wander too much or his kisses deepen too far. He didn't want to scare her, and he certainly didn't want to pressure her into anything she wasn't ready for.

She hadn't made it easy. She was entirely too intoxicating for him. He found himself wanting her beyond what he thought he was capable at his age. He had thought the passionate lust and desire for a woman would have left him years ago, but all Maria had to do was look at him and he found himself wanting her desperately.

He wouldn't push her though. He was set on waiting. As she had never been with anyone before, he didn't want her first time to be some lust filled fumble. He wanted her to be sure about it. He wanted her to be sure about him.

Even so, he had almost reached his breaking point. He had gone to her room one night after the children had been put to bed. He convinced himself it was because he had been too preoccupied in his study to give her a proper goodnight. He had convinced himself that he would kiss her goodnight and leave, knowing that sharing her bed again would be too risky for several reasons, as much as he longed to wake up with her in his arms. He had been very, very wrong.

As it often happened with Maria, one goodnight kiss turned into several minutes of ravishing her skin with his lips. She was just so responsive, and he couldn't seem to get enough of the taste of her. The alarm bells only rang in his head when her wandering hand had brushed against the front of his straining jeans causing him to break his lips away with a strangled gasp. She had immediately apologized and believed she had been in the wrong, to which Georg tried to gently calm her down. He let her know that she had done nothing wrong, that he was just surprised. He had given her a chaste kiss goodnight before retiring to his room for a much-needed cold shower.

The incident had happened a couple days ago, and Georg had made sure to keep things relatively restrained since then. He mustered all his control to only give her light kisses and keep his distance. He calmed Maria's frantic mind by telling her that he just wanted to keep things slow for the time being, when in reality, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself in check. He wanted her with a fire that burned so brightly within him that the slightest touch from her would have him aroused beyond belief.

Georg shook himself from his thoughts. Just thinking about it made his body respond in ways he couldn't afford. He couldn't focus on the lust and desire he felt for her, not tonight. He needed to be completely in control for his plan to work.

While Georg had been showering Maria with small gifts of flowers and her favourite chocolates throughout the week, he had realized rather stupidly that he hadn't even taken her on a date. They had been stealing kisses and conversations in the darkness of the night. He knew it was a necessary precaution until he was able to settle things with Elsa, but he was tired of stolen moments. He wanted to be with her without the pretenses of hiding.

He had let Mrs. Schmidt, Franz, and the rest of his staff have the night off before he sprang his plan into action. He smiled to himself as he glanced at the time on his laptop. Maria would have just put the little ones to bed. The older five would have been finding ways to keep themselves occupied with books or video games. There would likely be no interruptions.

With a smile on his face, Georg stood from his desk, closing his laptop and turning off the lamp before walking out the door. He made his way down the hall and out towards the foyer, feeling a certain spring in his step. As he turned into the foyer, he was delighted to hear the clicking of her shoes against the floor.

He felt his heart rate increase at the sight of her crossing the foyer to meet him. In leggings and a baggy t-shirt, he was convinced she would be the most beautiful woman in any room. Her golden hair was slightly mussed, her cheeks slightly flushed, and yet he couldn't conjure up a more perfect image in his mind.

"Oh, there you are, I was just coming to find you," she said sweetly, offering him a bright smile. Georg smiled back before taking a few steps towards her and catching her hand in his.

"I want to take you somewhere," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips to press a gentle kiss against her knuckles. Maria's eyes widened, fixing him with a look of surprise.

"Where?" she asked skeptically. He gave another smile at the way she eyed him curiously. Spontaneity wasn't typically his strong suit, but something about Maria was able to bring that side out of him.

"Come with me," he told her. She gave a small nod, her eyes still focused on him in bewilderment. He began walking towards the back doors, her fingers intertwined with his in a way that never failed to make his heart feel full.

They exited onto the terrace, only stopping for a moment so Georg could close the doors behind them. The sun had just set, and the world was being thrust into the darkness of the night. Only the moon and the stars shone down on them to guide their path. There was a cool breeze sifting through the air, which was a pleasant contrast to the lingering heat of the day.

Georg frowned briefly as he noticed the gathering clouds that began to hinder their view of the stars. He had believed that the evening would be a clear one, but it looked like perhaps they would be expecting some rain. He pushed that thought from his mind. They still had some time, and Georg wanted to spend as much time with Maria as he could without the interruptions of children and staff.

Georg led Maria down the steps of the terrace, guiding her to the right of the yard. He could hear her audible gasp when she saw the candlelit picnic that he had set up just a few feet from the gazebo. A few pillows lay across a picnic blanket where a few candles dimly lit the area.

"Georg, what is this?" she asked, her mouth hung agape as they walked over to the blanket.

"Only half of what you deserve," he told her gently. She looked up at him with bright eyes. He gave her a small smile before sitting on the blanket, propping himself up against the pillows. "Won't you join me?"

"What if we are seen?" she asked, her eyes roaming over the champagne and strawberries he was reaching for.

"I sent the staff home for the night, and I'm sure the children are far more preoccupied," he replied with a shrug. He wasn't entirely sure of the odds of them being discovered, but that didn't discourage him. He did want to keep things private until he was able to talk to Elsa, but if one of the children happened to wander upon them while searching them out, he wasn't sure he would be terribly upset. In fact, he was very nearly ready to yell from the rooftops, if their circumstances had allowed it.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her eyes glancing back to the house, the worry briefly etched on her features. When her eyes came back to his, the worry seemed to dissipate. She gave him a small smile before sinking down onto the blanket next to him. Georg couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

"What is all this?" she asked as she settled next to him. She sat nestled against the pillows, and her arm seemed to lean gently against his.

"I realized that I haven't taken you on a proper date yet. Unfortunately, this is the best I can do under the circumstances," he told her sheepishly. He popped the champagne and grabbed the two glasses he had brought out.

"I think it's perfect," she replied. Georg glanced over and gave her a warm smile. To say he had been worried about what she would think might have been an overstatement, but he couldn't deny the small cloud of doubt that had began to form in his mind earlier in the day. He was glad that she was pleased with his efforts.

"Champagne?" he asked. She nodded in response. He poured a healthy amount into each glass before handing one to her. She took it gratefully, her dainty fingers sliding over his for the briefest of moments. Georg felt his heart pump faster at the contact.

He turned away to grab the container of strawberries he had brought out. He carefully placed the container between them, offering a smile to Maria when she looked at him questioningly.

"You brought strawberries?" she asked.

"You said they were your favourite," he replied. His response earned him a dazzling smile. Maria picked a strawberry out of the container and took a bite. He was unable to look away as her lips enveloped the fruit. He heard a quiet moan of delight sound from her throat as she tasted the strawberry. The fingers of his left-hand twitched in the space between them. He looked away, feeling his control slip from his grasp. The fact that it only took a small action from Maria to get his mind to haze over with desire was becoming a problem; one in which he wasn't sure how to fix.

He focused on anything else. This night was about her, and he would not have his desire for her cloud over the comfortable evening he had planned for them. He wanted to do things right by her. He brought his attention to the stars that were now twinkling above them between the thickening clouds. A smile spread across his face.

"Do you remember the night we met?" he asked, gazing up at the constellations. He already knew the answer. It was a night that was hard to forget, even with the amount of booze they had consumed.

"Yes," she told him. He spared a glance at her. He could see the small smile on her face as she too looked up at the sky to eye the stars.

"You told me that night that you loved looking at the stars because it reminded you that there was a whole universe out there to be explored," he said, watching her face look up in awe in the dim candlelight. The flames created an irresistible glow to her complexion that made Georg swallow hard. Her gaze came down to meet his, and his breath caught in his throat.

"You remember that?" she asked. He nodded gently, noticing the way the light from the candles danced in her irises.

"It stuck with me. Even though I tried to forget that night, for some reason what you said gave me hope. I suppose it made me think that there was more to discover in my life. Maybe there was a light in the darkness," he told her. He watched as her eyes gave him an open gaze, drinking in every word he said. "What I didn't realize then was that you were it. You were the light in the dark."

Maria watched him with wide eyes. He could see fresh tears prickling at her eyes at his statement. He let a smile spread across his face. Every word had been true. He felt everything he said. She really had become the light in the dark, the sun peaking through the clouds, and he wanted to spend every moment of every day reminding her of that.

Slowly, he leaned his head down to capture her lips with his own. He could taste the fusion of strawberries and champagne on her lips, a mixture that tasted even sweeter coming from her mouth. He felt her hand rest gently against his chest, just over his heart, and in that moment, he knew he would never get tired of the way it was between them. The ease and comfort between them were something he never wanted to let go.

He didn't linger, as much as he desperately wanted to cling to her for the rest of his life. He brought his head back after a moment, knowing the precarious position he could put them in if he kissed her for too long. Her eyes slowly opened to look at him, her irises betraying the admiration she felt for him. He gave her a small smile before taking a sip of his champagne in an attempt to distract him from the urge he felt to reach out and grab for her. He grimaced when he realized he would much rather be tasting it off Maria's lips.

"Can I ask you something?" her voice sounded. He turned his head to look at her, adoring the way the orange glow made her look ethereal.

"Anything," he replied in a whisper. She turned more fully towards him, her chest dangerously close to his own.

"When I asked you why you kissed me that night, you told me that it felt right in the moment. Is that true?" came her question. He smiled remembering the conversation they had in his study not so long ago.

"It was as true as I could be then. I was scared you'd run away if I told you that I kissed you because I had been utterly bewitched by you. I still am bewitched by you," he told her softly. She smiled as his arm came around her, pulling her gently to him. She settled firmly against him, her head dropping to his shoulder. He placed a kiss on her forehead, revelling in the feeling of having her in his arms.

"I tried so hard to forget about that night," she said. Georg nodded.

"I did too," he replied somberly. He felt stupid now when he remembered how hard he had fought off the memories of that night. It had been so pointless in the end. He should have known he would never be able to forget about her, especially when he had known she had awakened something within him that night.

"I wanted to forget. I figured I would never see you again, so it wouldn't matter. I thought it had been a mistake," she muttered softly. He could understand how she felt. He had felt the same. He had spent months believing that he had made a mistake, and that he'd never see her again. He couldn't fathom why the memories had been so vividly attached to his memory.

"I couldn't get you out of my head," he stated. She looked up at him, a curious expression on her face. "I tried to. I told myself it was ridiculous to hold onto a memory that seemed so insignificant at the time. I couldn't forget. It haunted me every night."

"Every night?" she asked. Georg stilled at the slip of his tongue. He hadn't meant to betray that bit of information. He fumbled with the words to explain himself without explicitly telling her just what she had done to his subconscious.

"Sometimes I dreamt about it," he replied carefully. He didn't want to give himself away. He didn't want to tell Maria about the lust filled dreams that had played in his mind ever since that night. He didn't want to tell her that he often woke drenched in sweat at the image of her body wrapped up with his. He didn't want to frighten her off.

"What kind of dreams?" she asked curiously. He felt his face begin to prickle with heat. This was not the kind of conversation he wanted to be having with her. To reveal the things his subconscious had come up with would surely scare her off. He looked away from her, gazing at the stars instead, desperate to regain some strength and composure.

"Nothing of importance," he muttered. He could see in the way her brow knitted from the corner of his eye that she wasn't satisfied with his answer. He scrambled to change the subject, not willing to expose her to the lustful dreams he had about her. He was trying to keep himself out of danger with her and talking about his dreams certainly wouldn't help in in that regard.

"I was lost for a very long time. I don't think I ever would have found myself if it wasn't for you," he told her. He glanced back towards Maria who gave him a small smile.

"I think you would have. I knew there was a good man under the mask," she replied.

"You did?"

"Well, maybe not at first. But the older children told me stories of how you had been before. They loved you so fiercely that I knew there was more than met the eye," she told him. Georg's heart melted at that. After the neglect and pain he had put upon his children, the fact that they could look past his failures as a father and love him unconditionally touched his heart. He only wished he could have been what they deserved.

"I put them through hell," he muttered bitterly. His mind began to remember just how much he had missed of their lives due to his own darkness. He had missed half a decade, and nearly all of his youngest's life.

"You were all put through a lot. You lost someone you cared for very much, and that's never easy. They understand, you know," she said. Georg nodded. He did know. He also knew they had to grow up far too quickly in his absence. While he knew they were growing up to be remarkable young men and women, he only wished he could take credit for it instead of being the reason they had to grow up faster than most children.

"I just wish I had handled things differently. I wish that I had been there when they needed me most," he replied. He watched as she nodded slowly and looked above to the stars, her eyes flitting about the constellations. For a moment, she said nothing. She popped another strawberry in her mouth and took a sip of her champagne, her eyes scanning the stars thoughtfully.

"What was she like?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. Georg knitted his brows in confusion.

"Agathe?"

"Yes," she replied. His eyebrows raised as he contemplated her question. He hadn't talked about Agathe in a very long time, other than the few times he had talked to Maria about her. Aside from her death, most of the things he had told Maria about his wife had been miniscule details. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

He stayed silent for a moment. He grabbed a strawberry from the container, chewing the sweet fruit as he thought about her question. He let his eyes roam over her face, noticing the discomfort there. She looked down at her champagne glass, avoiding his eyes as if she felt guilty for even asking.

He felt a pang in his heart. He never wanted her to be afraid to ask him anything, nor did he want her to think there was any part of his life that he wanted to hide from her. He took a healthy sip of his champagne, finishing the glass before he placed it next to him. He grabbed her free hand with his, catching her attention.

"She was a wonderful woman. She was beautiful and kind to everyone she met. She had a wonderful sense of humour. She was able to ignite joy into everyone she met. She was a fantastic mother to our children," he started. He had avoiding talking about Agathe in fear that it would be incredibly painful, like throwing salt in the wound. However, as he started to speak with her, he didn't feel the painful ebb in his heart as he once had. He felt joyfully reminiscent as he looked back on the fond memories of a woman who had meant the world to him.

"I think she would have liked you a lot," he told her with a gentle smile. Maria looked up at him with a soft open gaze. "You had the same kind-hearted nature. And she would have adored your voice. She loved music."

"She sounds lovely," Maria told him, a fond smile on her face. Georg returned the smile. Some women might have been uncomfortable talking about the subject of his wife. Some women might have found jealousy in talking about a past lover, but not his Maria. She was attentive, and her eyes displayed a genuine curiosity to know more.

"She was. I met her not too long after I joined the Navy. I was visiting some friends in Vienna while I was on leave. We ended up at this charming little bar where she happened to be. It was one of those moments where I saw her across the bar and was instantly smitten. She was the most beautiful woman in the room. I knew I had to talk to her. I walked over and introduced myself, and the rest was history. I knew that night that I was going to marry her one day," he said. He found a smile forming on his lips as he remembered the night that he had met his wife. It had once been painful to think about, but now he was only filled with peace at the memory.

"Did you propose shortly after?" Maria asked, her eyes staring at him with uninhibited wonder. He gave her a gentle smile.

"God no. It took me three years to work up the courage to propose. Her family despised me. They wanted their daughter to marry a lawyer or a doctor, not some low-ranking Naval cadet. For a time, I thought they might have been right. I thought that she deserved more. I even tried to break it off at one point. She was to inherit a large fortune from her parents but marrying me would have meant her giving up that inheritance. She told me that she would rather lose her fortune than lose me. When she said that, it gave me the courage to propose," he said.

Maria watched him closely, a smile on her face. The admiration in her eyes was clear. He wrapped his arm tighter around her. He never thought he would be able to talk to Agathe to anyone and not have it rip his heart in two all over again. The attentive way that Maria listened and watched him with adoration gave Georg the courage he needed to talk about Agathe.

"Of course, once children were brought into the mix, her parents ultimately forgave her for marrying a Navy man in favour of having a relationship with their grandchildren. I surprised them pleasantly by ranking Captain by the time Louisa was born. They finally saw me as worthy of their daughter," he told her, a smile forming on his face at the memory of Agathe's parents approaching him with an apology for their behaviour.

"Do the children still see their grandparents?" she asked. Georg stiffened a little before nodding.

"They've gone to their grandparents every Christmas since Agathe passed. Unfortunately, my relationship with them ended. They had tried to reach out to me, but I was beyond comforting. I closed myself off, and my relationship with them ceased. I haven't spoken to them since the funeral," he said, feeling the guilt creep into his veins.

"It must have been hard on you," she commented quietly. He forced a weak smile on his face.

"It was. I was so broken. I felt that I was beyond fixing. I didn't cope very well," he said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I suppose it's never easy to cope with loss," she replied, looking back down at her champagne glass before taking another sip.

"No," he replied quietly. He noticed the small shift in her body as she tensed against his arm. "I imagine it wasn't easy losing your parents at such a young age."

"It wasn't. I was very young. I couldn't understand why they had never come back home," she replied quietly. Georg nodded. He could understand how difficult it would have been. A pang hit his heart as he realized his children had lost both of their parents at a young age as well.

"Do you remember anything about them?" he asked gently. He watched as Maria fiddled with the stem of her glass.

"I don't remember much. My father used to sing and play the guitar. My mother liked to bake. They were extremely happy together, and they wanted to give me the world," she replied somberly. Georg felt his heart break for her. To lose the two most important people in her life before she really had a chance to know them would have been devastating. He wondered if that's how his children had felt.

"What happened afterwards?" he asked, hoping he wasn't prodding too much. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable with his questions, but he found himself desperate to know more about how Maria had transformed into the incredible woman she was today. He just wished it hadn't been under such horrifying circumstances.

"I didn't have many living relatives. My mother's brother was the one who took me in. He was a farmer on the outskirts of Salzburg. He was also a miserable, miserable man," she replied. He watched as the features of her face grew dark. He was tempted to change the conversation to a lighter subject, but she spoke before he could.

"He wasn't terrible, I suppose. He supplied me with the basic necessities. He put a roof over my head and fed me when I needed to eat. But he drank a lot. When he drank, he became volatile," she said quietly. Georg's heart kicked up a notch as scenarios began to whiz through his mind at the implications of her words.

"Did he ever hurt you?" he inquired gently. He didn't want to push her, especially if it would lead to bad memories, but he found himself asking the question for his own peace of mind. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when she shook her head.

"Not physically, no. His words were his weapon," she said. Georg frowned. He could imagine the horrible things she might have had to endure. "As I got older, he was in my life less and less. I realized that I was the only person I should depend upon."

His heart broke. Maria had gone through life believing that she was alone in the world because the world had taken her parents from her far too soon. He realized that she had never had anyone to take care of her, to be there for her. He realized that Maria had been utterly and entirely alone in the world for a very long time.

He gently pulled her closer against him. She gave no resistance, falling into him easily. Her head fell against his chest, just above his heart. He heard a small sigh escape her lips as he brought his own lips to the top of her head.

"You're not alone anymore," he whispered into her hair, hoping it might put her mind at ease. He was glad his children had each other. While his actions as a father had been deplorable, they had each other. They had been able to heal together. Maria hadn't been so lucky. She was forced to face the death of her parents alone, and while she might have come out stronger because of it, no one should have to face something like that alone.

He felt her push away from his chest, her eyes meeting his once again. What he saw there was enough to take his breath away. She looked at him with something akin to a loving tenderness that struck his heart deeply. The way she watched him made him feel vulnerable. He felt like he could tell her anything in that moment. He found three words brewing on the tip of his tongue that he was desperate to say. He was consumed by a tidal wave of love for the woman in his arms, and he wanted her to know it.

Before he could form the words, she looked away, breaking the spell she had cast him under. He watched as she took another sip of her champagne before taking a bite of a strawberry, and he swallowed the words. He could have told her, he wanted to tell her, but he realized he couldn't. He was terrified that it would all be too much. He hadn't said those words to anyone but Agathe, and the prospect of saying them to Maria frightened him beyond belief. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she never felt the same way?

Shaken from his near slip of tongue and desperate to change the course of his thoughts, Georg turned away, reaching for the bottle of champagne and pouring more of the contents into his glass. He held the bottle out to Maria who held her glass out in return, a polite smile on her face.

"Thank you," she said when he filled her glass. He smiled back at her, trying to calm his racing heart as he took a sip of his champagne. He could still feel his nerves set alight at how close he had been to revealing his heart to her.

A silence fell over them, one in which Georg could only hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. His hand absently began to stroke Maria's shoulder. He looked back up to the sky, noticing that the clouds had begun to obstruct his view of the stars almost entirely. He focused on the darkening of the sky rather than his racing heart.

"Georg?" came her voice after a few moments.

"Hm?" he responded, his mind still clouded with the words he had almost said.

"What are we going to tell the children?" she asked. He turned to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"About us?" he asked. She nodded. He felt his face softened at the question. In truth, he had thought about this answer a lot. He continuously wondered what the most appropriate way would be to tell his children that he was involved with their governess. However, the most important thing to him was that Maria was entirely comfortable with what they told them. "What would you like to tell them?"

"I don't know," she told him quietly. He nodded, his fingers absently stroking her shoulder as he though about her question.

"Well, when the time comes, I'd like to tell them the truth. I'd like to tell them how special you are to me and that I hope you'll be in our lives for a long time," he said. He knew he wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to shout from the rooftops that he had fallen in love with her when he thought the idea of falling in love again had been out of the question, but he couldn't get the words out.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, unless of course, you find someone younger and more handsome you'd like to run off with," he said teasingly, giving her shoulder a playful squeeze. She gave him a light smile as her eyes flickered across his face.

"I think I'm okay with where I am," she said, giving his hand a soft squeeze. He brought the same hand to his lips. She smiled before her features darkened into a frown. "What are you going to tell Elsa?"

Georg tensed. He hadn't thought much about what he would say to Elsa. He knew he had to break things off and make it clear that he was in a different place that she was, but he hadn't worked much on his execution. His mind had been more pleasantly preoccupied.

"I'll tell her the truth. I'll tell her that it's not working and that I can't go on living a lie. I'll tell her that it's unfair to the both of us," he replied honestly. "I'll also have to confirm her suspicions about us."

"Won't she be terribly angry?" Maria asked. He could hear the anxiety in her voice. He gave a weak nod.

"She might be, but I've lied to her and myself for too long. She deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know that I don't see a future with her," he said. Maria nodded slowly, taking another sip of champagne as she let his words soak in.

"Do we have a future?" she asked timidly. Georg brought his eyes to hers and watched the anxiety cloud behind them, as if she were afraid of the answer. He felt his breath catch with the words he desperately wanted to tell her. He tried to settle his racing heart. Maria was new to relationships in general, he didn't want to declare his feelings until he was sure she wanted this, that she wanted him for the rest of her life.

"I'd like us too," he told her quietly. She watched him, her eyes waiting for more of an explanation. He took a deep breath, willing his lungs to function again. "I'd like to see where this goes. I'd like to figure this out with you."

He knew he didn't say everything he wanted to say, but rather a toned-down version of it. Looking at her now, sitting next to him under the stars, made it clearer to him than ever that he wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms and wake up with her next to him for the rest of his life.

"I think I'd like that," she whispered back timidly. He let a smile grace his face as Maria leaned into him, her chin tipping upwards to reach his own. Slowly, she let her lips fall against his. He felt his heart rate speed up at the feel of her warmth against him.

While Georg was still set about not letting things get too out of hand, he couldn't help but enjoy such a blissful moment with her in his arms. For a moment, he set aside his desires and focused solely on her; the way her hand came to rest on his jaw, the way her soft lips danced against his, the way her chest felt pressed against his own. He focused on the feeling of having her close, and the way it made his heart swell with joy.

His head felt bubbly from the champagne, and the taste of her only intoxicated him further. He felt alive with her mouth pressed against his in a delicate dance that felt intimate and slow and perfect. He knew he could have stayed there for an eternity without a single complaint.

He couldn't be too sure how long they had been sitting there wrapped up in each other before he felt a drop of something wet land against the back of his hand. He gently broke off the kiss and looked above. The clouds he had seen earlier had rolled above them, and the sky began to open up and rain down on them.

The rain began to come down with more force. Before Georg could look back at Maria, the heavens opened up and began an assault of pouring rain that extinguished the candles around them. He felt the downpour begin to soak through the material of his jeans and jumper.

"We should probably get inside," he said, raising his voice over the pelting rain. Maria nodded before beginning to gather up the champagne, the glasses, and the strawberries. Georg rose from his position on the ground and gathered the pillows and blankets into his arms. The rain increased its force. Without a doubt, they would both be drenched to the bone before they made it inside.

Together, the hurried their way towards the doors. He could feel his hair loosening from the hold of the products he had put in earlier and falling upon his forehead. The drops of rain streamed down his skin as they lightly jogged towards the door.

They made it inside, both completely soaked. The blankets and pillows were drenched, and he knew that it wouldn't be an easy thing to explain to the maids in the morning. He couldn't be bothered by it in the moment, however. As he looked upon Maria in the light of the foyer, he could see the droplets of water rolling down her skin until the path was interrupted by her thin t-shirt that now clung to her body like a second skin.

Georg swallowed hard. Her hair was matted to her forehead, her cheeks red with the effort of jogging to the door. He knew he should look away, lest his imagine run wild, but he couldn't. She was a vision to behold, even soaked through with rain. What made it worse was that she was staring back at him with a dangerous look in her eye, one that set his skin on fire through the dampness of his clothes.

"Where should we put all of this?" she asked softly. For a moment, her words didn't register. He couldn't be sure what she was talking about as his eyes followed a drop of rain rolling down her neck, destroying his stability. Her words finally registered when he glanced back up to see her expectant look.

"Um, we can settle everything in my room for now. I'll take care of it in the morning," he said, his voice sounding foreign to his ears. Maria nodded before carefully removing her shoes and socks with one hand, leaving them by the door as though to try and lessen the amount of water they would be tracking into the house. Not that Georg cared; he couldn't bring his mind to focus on anything but the woman standing in front of him. However, as if on auto pilot, he followed her actions.

As he finished clumsily removing his watery shoes and socks, Maria gave him a bright smile before turning towards the stairs and ascending. On their own accord, his feet followed her. His eyes roamed over the back of her. Her clothes clung to her in a way that ignited his imagination. He swallowed hard, trying to think of anything else. The direction his thoughts were going in were not helpful to the twinge of desire he felt flowing freely through him.

They made their way down the hall, leaving a trail of rain behind them from their dripping skin. He couldn't bring himself to pay any mind to the floor when he felt her arm brush against his, setting his nerves alight. He gritted his teeth as he reached for the doorknob, opening the door to his room. He gestured for Maria to enter.

She took a tentative step inside. Having never seen his room, he watched as she took in the large four poster bed, the burgundy drapes, and the collection of pictures of his family scattered across the room. He smiled at the wonder clear in her eyes, taking in a small, intimate part of him that not very many people saw.

He followed her through the door, making his way into the en-suite to place the soaked blankets and pillows to dry. He walked back out to turn on the lamp on his bedside table, allowing more light to filter through the room. He watched Maria admire the photos on his dresser of the children, her arms still full of glasses and containers.

"You can just leave those on the dresser," he said, inclining his head to the contents in her arms. She looked up at him and gave a shy smile before setting everything down with great care.

Neither quite knew what to say as they stood facing each other, only a few feet separating them. Georg knew that logically, he should wish Maria a goodnight and leave it at that, but with everything they had shared through the night, it felt almost too impersonal to end things that way. He could hear his heart thrumming furiously in his ears as he tried to figure out what to say.

"Thank you for joining me tonight," he said rather pathetically, his fingers twitching at his sides. He watched as she gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you for inviting me," she replied. He wondered if she was feeling as unsure as he was. He wondered if she desperately didn't want to go as much as he didn't want her to leave. He took a tentative step forward before taking her hand in his and raising it to his lips. He placed a kiss on the inside of her palm, his eyes never leaving hers. The hitch in her breath sent a shiver down his spine that threatened to unhinge him.

He closed the gap between them, deciding on a goodnight kiss before telling her he would retire for the night. He had kissed her goodnight every night for the past week, and he was hopeful that his composure would stick with him. Had he been more aware of the subtle shift between them that night, he wouldn't have dared to close the gap.

He dipped his head closer to hers, his forehead resting against hers as he felt the whisper of her breath across his lips. He steeled his control, determined that he would give her a chaste kiss. He had to stay strong. He couldn't give into the desires that he so wished to.

Tentatively, his lips descended on hers. The breath felt as if it were being robbed from his lungs at the tender way her lips met his. He felt a hand slid into his damp hair, pulling him more firmly against her and destroying his control bit by bit. His hands descended to her hips, holding her with a gentle grip. His brain screamed at him to back away, to end the embrace there, but his body wouldn't listen. She fit so perfectly against him that he struggled to let her go.

While he had felt his control was strong enough to keep him from taking things any further, he felt his resolve begin to crumble when he felt the swipe of her tongue at his bottom lip. Without thinking about the consequences of his actions, he willingly granted her access, feeling her tongue slide against his in a most delicious manner. The boldness of her actions was enough for him to break. He could still faintly taste champagne infused with strawberries, a combination that only spurred him on.

His heart thudded dangerously as her lips continued to torture him with their sweet caresses. There was a surge of desire shooting through him, one in which he wasn't sure he could control. He wanted her so badly. He wanted to taste her everywhere. He wanted to feel every inch of her pressed up against him. He wanted to discover all the places no other man had dared to explore. He wanted her with every fibre of his being, and it scared him.

He pulled away, his conscience finally winning out against his bodily desires. His breath was ragged against her lips as he tried to regain the composure that she had so skillfully crumbled. He had to stop it. He was right to stop them before things got out of hand and it was too late to go back.

"Maria," he let out the whisper of her name, struggling to catch his breath. His eyes caught hers. She looked up at him with eyes reflecting the wanting he felt. He suddenly loathed the damp jeans he wore as they clung to his body in a most uncomfortable way.

He watched as her hand came up to stroke his cheek. He let his eyes fall closed at the soothing contact, willing his body to tamper down its desires as he took a deep breath. He fumbled in his mind with the words he wanted to say. Swallowing hard, he opened his eyes to find her scanning his face tenderly.

"Maria, we should say goodnight," he told her gently. Her eyes fell from his, fixing on a point on his throat instead. He held his breath as he waited for her to say something, anything. He wanted her to tell him that he was right, that she should go, but a small part of his mind, the part being driven crazy by wanting her so badly hoped that perhaps she would stay.

"What if I don't want to?" came her response. Georg let out a soft groan. Did she know how much he wanted her to stay? Did she know how much he desired to lay her in his bed and show her how much he didn't want her to ever leave him? She couldn't have known, or she wouldn't still be standing there. He sighed deeply, praying for his control to come back to him.

"We have to. If you stay, well I-," he struggled to finish his sentence. He took a shaky breath. "I tend to forget myself when I'm with you. The truth is, I want you rather desperately, and if you stay, I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself."

Her eyes flitted back up to his, scanning his face with a scrutiny he wasn't accustomed to. He was sure the desire was written all over his face. He was sure it would have been obvious to anyone just how much he wanted her in that moment, and yet, she hadn't left the room, nor had she tried to extricate herself from his embrace.

"What if I don't want you to stop?" she asked, her voice weak and timid as if unsure if she should speak. Georg felt his blood run cold. He shivered involuntarily at her words. Was she really offering to stay knowing the consequences?

"Maria," he spoke, his voice ragged and weak. "Please don't. You don't know what you're saying."

"I know I don't want to leave, and I know that you aren't the only one who has been having dreams," she whispered. Her eyes flitted back down to his throat, her cheeks darkening in hue at her own honesty. Georg felt as if the air had been stripped right from his lungs. He struggled to find his words, any words.

"If you stay, I can't promise that I'll be able to control myself," he muttered softly.

"I'm not asking you to," she replied. His fingers flexed against her waist, desperate to close the distance between them. He was wearing thin, but he had to try and warn her, for the both their sakes. If she was really offering to stay, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He needed to feel her. But he wasn't sure if he could go through with it if he happened to push her too far and she left him. He couldn't lose her, not when he had just found her.

"We said he would take things slow," he whispered. Her eyes came to find his once again. There was no fear there, no animosity about what he was saying. Her face tilted upwards; her lips so close to his own that he could already taste her.

"I trust you," she whispered back.

Those three words hit Georg straight in the chest like a bullet. Whereas he had been holding his restraint on the idea that she might have been naïve on the physical intimacies of love, he realized that perhaps he was the naïve one instead. The way she looked at him now, her eyes full of trust and devotion, he didn't see the scared young woman he had spent weeks trying to protect from himself. He saw a young woman who, while inexperienced, knew what she wanted and could make her own decisions.

That was all it took for Georg's once iron clad control to snap in two and be thrown straight out the window. Without much thought, he was backing her up a few steps until her back collided with the door. His lips descended on hers with a force he didn't know he was capable of. It was as if her words had summoned all the pent-up desire he had been feeling for days, weeks, months, until it was all he could feel pumping through his veins.

The doubt that had been swimming around in his head left him as he felt her fingers thread through his still dripping hair. She kissed him in equal fervour making him dizzy. He lost any last shred of control he had when her fingers trailed lightly over the back of his neck, causing him to shudder with desire.

He was perfectly fitted against her, their hips fused together against the door. Every nerve in his body sprang to life. He could feel the warmth of her body through the layers of damp clothes they wore. He would have to do something about that, he thought.

He slipped a hand under shirt, feeling the bare skin of her waist against his fingertips, his head spinning at the feel of her soft skin. Groaning at the nuisance of the cloth separating them, Georg gripped the hem of her shirt, breaking his mouth from hers to tug the shirt up. She eagerly lifted her arms, letting him remove the garment from her body. He tossed the damp article somewhere behind him before bringing his mouth back down to hers.

Tongues collided as his hands explored the newly exposed flesh, feeling the curve of her waist and the jut of her ribs with the tips of his fingers. His heart hammered wildly as his fingers trailed along her torso. He couldn't believe she was standing before him, her body pressed up against his. He nearly wanted to pinch himself to determine if it was a dream; however, he quickly decided that if it was a dream, then he certainly didn't want to wake up.

Her own hands travelled from his hair to his shoulders before snaking down his chest with agonizing slowness. The feel of her hands on him caused his mind to spin. She felt better than any of his dreams. Her dainty fingers trailed down his abdomen before tugging impatiently at the hem of his shirt. Without hesitation, he took half a step back, removing his lips from hers before he tugged the offending article from his body and threw it to the ground. His mouth was back on hers before his shirt had even met the floor.

He revelled in the skin to skin contact. The warmth of her chest met his, causing a twitch of desire to travel straight south. His hands descended past her hips. He gripped the back of her thighs and lifted her in one smooth motion so that she was pinned between the door and his body. With a little encouragement, she wrapped her legs around his hips. His jeans were becoming increasingly more uncomfortable as he felt himself pressed against her center.

He kept his hands positioned firmly on her thighs as he broke as mouth away from hers, suddenly hungry to taste every inch he could reach. His lips descended on her neck, blazing a trail towards her collar bone. He nipped and sucked at the skin, revelling in the taste of her. He heard her moan, and her hands gripped at his back as his mouth moved lower, placing kisses just above her breasts.

He lifted a hand, pulling down the straps of her bra and pushing the cups of her bra out of his way. His tongue flicked out to lap at her breast, eliciting a moan from Maria. He smiled against her, lavishing attention upon one of her breasts with his mouth as one of his hands came up to palm the other.

He was convinced that all sense had been lost now. He could hear a small voice in the back of his mind telling him to stop what he was doing and suggest that they end the night, but he ignored it. She felt like heaven in his arms, and her skin had intoxicating effects on his brain. He wanted her with everything that he was.

She was panting against him now, in between the ragged moans that escaped her lips. The sounds she was making and the way her hips rolled against him, blindly trying to release the tension he knew was building, was slowly driving him insane. There were too many layers between them. He needed more of her.

He trailed a path back up to her neck before pulling her away from the door. Without ceasing his attentions, he walked them over to his bed, setting her down on the mattress as gently as he could muster with the adrenaline pumping through him like liquid fire.

She looked up at him, her eyes blackened with desire. He was painfully aroused as he looked upon her laying there, her creamy skin tantalizing him, and her breasts exposed. Without much hesitation, he climbed over her, reaching behind her. He fingered at the clasp of her bra, his eyes asking permission to a question he didn't have the voice to ask. She nodded gently before he skillfully unclasped the garment and removed it from her entirely.

She bit her bottom lip as he looked down at her now fully exposed torso. Her muscles were taut and strong showing off her athleticism. She was more perfect than he could have ever imagined and seeing her exposed to him as she lay on his bed had any shred of sanity left in his body shattering.

He noticed the timid look in her eye, and he realized he had just been blatantly staring at her, practically drooling like a schoolboy. He offered her a small smile before pressing a kiss to her lips gently.

"You're beautiful," he muttered against her lips. He pulled back far enough to see a shy smile form on her lips. He pressed his mouth against hers once again, kissing her fiercely as if staking his claim. Her hands explored the muscles of his back, her fingers digging into his shoulders causing him to shudder in delight. Her hands did absolutely sinful things to his body. He brought a hand up to her breast, rolling a nipple gently between his forefinger and thumb to elicit a moan from her lips.

His mouth detached from hers in a desperate desire to taste her skin once again. He blazed a fiery trail with his lips down her neck, nipping gently at her pulse point. He continued his path, reaching her breasts as his mouth ravished every inch of her skin. He received gasps and moans from Maria as he continued his attentions. He smiled to himself as he felt her hips arch up off the bed. His mouth continued its path, placing hot, open mouthed kisses along her abdomen. He made sure to kiss any and every place he could reach, not seeming to get enough of her.

His attentions only ceased when he reached the waistband of her leggings. He looked up at her, silently asking for permission. Once again, she nodded. Georg rocked back on his knees before hooking his fingers into her waistband, and slowly peeling the damp article down her legs. He saw her shudder as his fingers grazed the sides of her legs with a light touch.

Once her leggings were off, he threw them to join the growing pile of clothes on the floor. He scanned her body, his eyes feasting on the creamy skin and curves. His jeans were tight enough to the point of pain, but he ignored it. If she was letting him have this, he would push away his own desire in favour of her pleasure.

He covered her once again, his mouth meeting hers in the dance he so loved. He wanted to slow things down. He wanted to take his time. He wanted to show her that he would give her the world if she asked. He kept his hands at her arms, lightly stroking her skin. He felt her shudder beneath him, her hips lifting to reach his. He groaned at the contact, inching his hips away. He didn't want it to be over before it began.

He felt her hand skim over his chest, gently feeling the skin and hair there. He moaned into her mouth when he felt her fingers skim over a nipple. Her hands descended lower, grazing against his abdomen and driving him insane. It wasn't until her hand tentatively rested on his belt that he pulled away.

"Darling, patience," he whispered against her in a breathless chuckle. He lifted his head to look her in the eyes. She lay before him, her eyes hooded with lust, and her mouth swollen from his kisses. He had never seen an image so painfully arousing in his life.

"Please, Georg," she muttered. He could hear the firmness that lay in her tone, despite her timid nature around him. It was then that he knew he would never be able to deny her a single thing when she looked at him like that. He rocked back on his knees once again and slowly undid the buckle of his belt. He kept his eyes firmly on hers, looking for a hint of discomfort, but he found none. With agonizing slowness, he undid the button of his jeans and slid down the zipper.

He let his jeans hang open for a minute, scanning her face for any indication that he should stop. What he found was a look of pure want akin to what he felt. He stood from the bed to push the jeans from his hips, letting them fall down his legs before stepping out of them.

He watched as her eyes roamed his body, stopping as they landed on his midsection, his desire for her only concealed by the thin material of his boxers. He moved slowly over her once again, hearing his heart thundering in his ears. Knowing they were only separated by their undergarments was doing intoxicating things to his brain.

He placed a gentle kiss to her lips, willing himself to slow down. He kissed her tenderly for a few moments, letting her feel the affection he felt for her rather than the pure lust he had kissed her with earlier. She reacted in kind, her one hand coming up to thread in his hair while her other gripped at his back. His own hands stayed safely at her sides, twitching to touch her. He let his one hand travel over the creamy expanse of her torso, lingering on her breasts before grazing down her stomach.

When his fingers reached the edge of her underwear, he traced the hem contemplating his next move. He let his fingers travel further south with a featherlight graze. He felt rather than heard her hum of appreciation. He let his fingers explore the most intimate part of her body delicately, not yet applying any pressure.

It wasn't until her hips rolled against his hand that he conceded, dragging a finger upwards, feeling her slick beneath the barrier of her underwear. She gasped against his mouth at the contact and the sound made his body harder than stone. He repeated the motion a couple times, receiving a moan each time he did. He heard a curse escape his lips as he continued his ministrations.

Feeling as if her underwear was becoming a nuisance, he used one hand to pull them down slowly, pulling his head back to look into her eyes. She bit her bottom lip before nodding gently in permission for him to continue. He let his fingers discover the newly exposed flesh, teasing but not quite touching. She let out a groan of frustration. Finally, after moments of having her squirm beneath him, he applied pressure to the place she desired him most. She gasped out something that sounded like his name.

His entire body was set on fire when he touched her. The way she arched against him and gasped out his name had him completely and utterly unhinged. His mind was solely focused on the woman beneath him and the best way to bring her as much pleasure as he could. His head dropped, his lips reaching her neck as he kissed gently at her skin.

His touches were light and slow as he used his index finger to circle her center, drawing delicious sounds from Maria's throat, which he was currently nibbling at. He continued his ministrations while kissing down her body. He stopped at her breasts, lavishing attention to each before he continued downwards. As he kissed the jut of her hip, he glanced up at Maria. Her eyes were shut tight while one of her hands gripped at the sheets, her other hand tangled in his hair.

He took his hand off her entirely and watched as her eyes opened to look at him. He grinned wickedly before placing a kiss on the inside of her thigh. He nudged her legs open a little more before experimentally running his tongue along her folds. His hands immediately came up to hold down her hips when they threatened to fly clear off the bed. She let out a strangled moan, her hand tightening in his hair.

He gave a few more experimental touches of his tongue, determining just what made her moan the loudest. He could already tell she was close by the way she gripped his hair, attempting to bring him closer. He stroked his tongue gently against her, smiling despite himself when he heard her sigh of frustration. She arched into his attentions, desperately trying to gain the release that he was refusing to give her.

"Georg, please," she heard her voice weakly sound out. She was nearly begging, and Georg knew he wouldn't be able to deny her anything. He picked up the pace, his tongue flicking insistently against her as she writhed against his mouth, her fingers attempting to pull him impossibly closer.

The long, drawn out moan that escaped her lips was the first indication that he had pushed her over the edge. The second indicator being her thighs clamping on either side of his face followed by the rocking of her hips against his mouth. He felt her body convulse beneath his hands, and the thought that he had been the first man to give her an orgasm shot straight down to the strain in his boxers.

He slowed his ministrations as she rode out wave after wave, his name coming blissfully from her lips. Only when her body went limp did he remove his mouth from her, gazing up to see her laying peacefully outstretched on the bed. She gave him a lazy smile, tugging him up gently by his hair. He crawled over her, coming face to face with her. He grazed her nose with his.

"Hi," he said. Maria gave him a small, satisfied smile. He felt a smug grin form on his face.

"Hi," she whispered back, her hand coming to rest on his cheek. She gently pulled his face down to meet his lips. He kissed her deeply, languidly, hoping to put everything he felt for her into words. His brought up a hand to her hair, his fingers playing with the soft, short strands.

While he could feel his evident want for her rigid against his abdomen, he willed himself to ignore it. He wouldn't push her, he wouldn't take his own pleasure, he wouldn't have her do anything she was uncomfortable with. If this is where she wanted the night to end, he would be happy enough with that. The fact that she let him go as far as he did was enough for him. He adored the woman beneath him with every fibre in his being, and he realized that he would do anything for her, without hesitation.

However, as it often happened with Maria, she surprised him when he felt her hips rise to meet his. Involuntarily, his hips thrusted against hers causing them both to simultaneously moan. He could feel the wet heat of her through the material of his boxers and the thought of her only being separated from him by a thin piece of fabric caused him to lose breath.

He retracted his lips, his eyes shut tight as he tried to calm his body down. He slowly opened his eyes to find Maria staring up at him with uninhibited adoration. She gave him a small smile as she stroked his face tenderly with her fingers. He turned his head to kiss her palm.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Yes," she told him breathlessly. "Are you?"

He forced himself to nod in answer, ignoring the pull of arousal he felt as her breasts pushed against his chest. He felt her squirm beneath him. While he wasn't sure she was doing it on purpose, it was torturous all the same. He let out a small grunt.

She gazed up at him, her eyes filled with lust as her hips shifted again, perfectly aligning their bodies. He heard her small gasp as she felt him fully pressed against her. He cursed under his breath. The heat of her was intoxicating. It was taking all the strength he could muster to not ground his hips against her.

As much as he wanted to take her right there, a bit of doubt sprang to the forefront of his mind. He didn't want her to feel pressured into anything. He wanted her badly, yes, and he was aroused beyond comprehension, but he was more concerned about how she felt. He didn't want to take something so precious from her away if she wasn't entirely sure about it.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. He watched as she nodded weakly. He shook his head. "I need to hear you say it. I need to hear you say you want this."

"Yes," she whispered. "Please, Georg."

He kissed her hard. His body's desires were set free. His hips began a steady rhythm against her, and he revelled in her soft gasps in his mouth. He had never burned so hot in his life. He wanted her with everything he had.

He broke the kiss, leaning towards his nightstand to open the drawer. His fingers appeared to stop working as his hand fumbled with the contents of the drawer. Finding what he needed, he pulled away from Maria. He pushed his boxers off his hips with one hand, kicking them away from his body. Without wasting time, he tore open the foil package, rolling the condom over his rigid member before covering her body with his.

This time, he only gave her a loving peck before pulling back to look into her eyes. He could see the trust in those big blue orbs, it reminded him that he needed to take things slow. She was allowing him something incredibly delicate, and he would be forever grateful for that.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded slowly. He kissed the tip of her nose. "It might feel uncomfortable at first. If at anytime you want me to stop, just tell me."

He carefully lined himself up before slowly inching inside of her. He watched her face carefully. He had made it a couple of inches before he saw the discomfort form on her face. He stilled.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She was still for a moment before she nodded. Carefully, he continued to sheath himself in her heat. He felt a curse fall from his lips as he buried himself inside of her. She felt better than anything he had ever dreamed.

He heard a small whimper come from her as he filled her entirely. He made no movement. He let her adjust to the intrusion. It killed him to stay still. Every nerve in his body shouted at him to move, but he wouldn't. He felt the sweat form on his forehead from the effort of keeping still.

A few moments passed before he felt her hips lift against his, indicating that he should move. He gave her a chaste kiss on her lips, his hand travelling down to her leg to hook it around his to give him more access.

He slowly pulled back, until he was almost entirely out of her, before he inched back in at an excruciatingly slow pace. There was still a twinge of discomfort on her face, but she nodded for him to continue when he stopped. He repeated the slow movements a couple of times before the discomfort faded from her eyes, transforming into a lustful look. Her arms came up to twine around his neck.

Ever so slightly, he picked up the pace. Her eyes closed as a soft moan escaped her lips. Both of her legs came to wrap around his waist. The adjustment in position allowed him to thrust deeper. He moaned as he buried himself over and over again, his pace quickening with every passing moment. She brought his head down to kiss him, and he obliged happily, his tongue intruding her mouth in a similar way to what his body was doing.

He lifted her legs a tad bit higher, feeling her moan deeply as he reached that hidden spot within her that no man had ever reached before. The thought was enough to hitch his breath. He let out a groan before releasing her lips, burying his face in her neck and peppering her skin with hot, open mouthed kisses. He was surprised when he felt her lips just under his ear, gently kissing him as her ragged pants echoed in his mind.

He wasn't going to last long; he had known that from the moment he had pushed her up against the door. He had wanted her for too long, had dreamt about this moment far too much. It exceeded his expectations in every way and the result was his control shattering. He felt the tension build in the base of his spine and realized it wouldn't be too long now until he would shatter before her.

He slipped a hand between them, rubbing a gentle finger against her center. As he pulled his face away from her neck, he saw that her eyes were clamped shut, her fingers fisting in his hair. She let out a moan as his fingers touched her center.

"Maria," he breathed out, "Look at me."

Her eyes opened to reveal a blackened gaze of desire. As she took in his, what he assumed was an unkempt appearance, she let out another moan, her eyes rolling back in her head. He felt her walls begin to convulse around him as she reached her second peak. As her walls clamped down around him, Georg felt himself lost to her entirely. He grunted as he went flying off the edge in a blinding, blissful, earth shattering orgasm. He could distantly hear his voice repeating her name like a prayer as they both rode out the waves of their pleasure.

He ceased his lazy thrusts as he came back to earth. He just barely had the energy to push himself away from her before he collapsed on the other side of the bed. He stared up at the ceiling as he felt his breathing normalize. The only sounds in the room were their mingled pants.

When he felt himself come out of the blissful daze that he had lost himself in, he turned his head towards Maria to find her eyes already on him. He gave her a lazy smile before leaning in to peck her lips. Slowly, he extricated himself from the bed and walked to the en-suit to dispose of the condom. He walked back to find Maria settling under the covers, her eyes heavy with sleep.

Georg shuffled back onto the bed beside her, shifting under the covers. He was turned towards her, propped up on his hand as he stared down at her, a smile on his lips. Her sleepy eyes looked up at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly. She smiled up at him.

"More than okay," she replied, lifting her head to kiss him. He leaned into the kiss, letting his lips caress hers gently. She smiled against his lips before she broke away, resting her head back against the pillows.

Georg smiled as her eyes fluttered closed, a small smile plastered on her face. He leaned over her, turning off the lamp on his nightstand. She turned on her side, her back to him, before shifting closer to his body. Without hesitation, he wrapped both arms around her, holding her as close as he could. He heard a soft sigh fall from her lips as she relaxed against him.

It wasn't long after he had gathered her into his arms that he heard the even sounds of her shallow breath. He knew within minutes that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled into her hair. While he hadn't expected the night to go how it did, he found a wave of calm and bliss wash over him. She was perfect in every way, and he felt his heart swell in his chest as he held her in the aftermath of what ended up being one of the best nights he could remember in a long time.

The fact that she trusted him so entirely to give herself to him in that way humbled him completely. He knew he would never do anything to cause her pain, he couldn't bear it if he did. He knew he wanted to spend what was left of his life cherishing the woman in his arms. While he had come to a similar conclusion nearly a week ago, he felt the love and admiration for her cemented in his bones.

He shifted his head up to look at her. In the shadows of the dark room, he could just make out her features. She looked so peaceful and so beautiful laying in his arms. He felt that he'd never get tired of the view. He could hear her begin to softly snore, proving that she was in a deep slumber. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"I love you," he whispered. He knew it wasn't the same as telling the conscious Maria how he felt, but until he was brave enough to face her with those three words, it was enough.

He laid his head back against the pillows before shutting his eyes and following Maria into a deep slumber. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, blissfully unaware about what he was about to be faced with.

* * *

**A/N: So here we have it. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this chapter. I've been quite nervous to post it. It was a lot packed into one chapter, and I really struggled with it. This is quite a setup for the next few chapters though. I'm not ready, are you? **

**I know I might have done a bit of injustice here with Georg and Maria's relationship being so fresh, but hey, it's a modern AU, and I've made them wait for fifteen chapters. Each time I wrote this chapter, it had the same outcome, although I didn't try and fight it very hard. **

**Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited, and followed. It means the world to me, and I can't wait for you to see what's in store. **


	17. Chapter Seventeen

A groggy Maria was awakened by the wet press of a mouth at the back of her neck. She could feel warm breath whispering across her skin, setting her waking body on fire. As her mind slowly came out of the daze of a deep slumber, her senses came back to her.

She could feel the weight of an arm around her waist, gently pulling her back against the hard planes of a chest. She felt the silk sheets wrapped around her in a delicious way. In the distance, she could hear birds singing a song to ring in the dawn of a new day.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she took in her surroundings. The morning sun was filtering in through the burgundy drapes, giving a red glow to the unfamiliar room. For a moment, her heart rate kicked into high gear as she didn't immediately recognize her surroundings. This wasn't her room.

Her heart fluttered considerably when the memories of the night before began to flood her mind. The picnic under the stars. The conversation with Georg. Getting drenched in the rain. Walking to his room. His lips on hers. Her back against the door. The weight of him on top of her.

She was very nearly at a loss for breath when she remembered what they had done – what she had let him do. She could feel her cheeks getting warm, and the feel of his chest pressing into her back was not helping.

She couldn't explain to herself why she had so eagerly accepted his advances, or why she had basically asked him to bed her. The feelings between them were so new and raw, and Maria had believed that Georg was likely doing the right thing by keeping things restrained between them. She had never considered giving her body to a man before. While she knew there was a deep wanting within her whenever Georg touched her, she had resolved that they should take things slow.

That hadn't stopped her curiosity from sparking whenever she kissed him. She couldn't get enough of him, and if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't sure how to stop. She had briefly felt guilty in all the times that Georg caught her alone and things would slowly begin to slip out of control in the wake of their desires for one another. He typically was the one to stop things before they got out of hand, even though Maria could see the reluctance clear in his eyes.

She hadn't planned on letting things go as far as they did. In fact, she hadn't planned on anything happening at all. The picnic he had laid out was beautiful, and her heart had fluttered at the thought he put into it. It didn't matter that he couldn't take her out as was customary, all that mattered was that Georg was next to her, his arm wrapped around her, as they talked. She had felt so safe in those moments. She had felt so cared for.

When it started raining and they had to rush inside, Maria hadn't counted on what would take place in his bedroom. She had been of the mind that she would bring the champagne glasses and strawberries to his room, and they would leave it at that. But then she had looked at him, and in a single moment, everything seemed to have shifted.

He was thoroughly soaked. His hair had fallen over his forehead and drops of water were trailing a path along his skin that Maria's eyes couldn't help but follow. Both his jumper and jeans clung to his body, and that's when she had first caught sight of the arousal he was feeling. Her eyes had caught his again before he noticed the direction of her gaze, and there was something in his irises that knocked the breath from her lungs. In that moment, she couldn't recall wanting anything more than Georg's lips on hers.

Then he had kissed her, and everything else seemed to disappear. She wanted him. She wanted to know all of him. She didn't want to go back to her room with only the dreams of what he might do to her playing through her mind. She just wanted him.

His attempts at trying to get her to go back to her room were valiant, and Maria briefly wondered if it would be for the best. She disregarded that idea entirely when she had eyed him again, taking in his unkempt appearance that had sparked something deep within her that both thrilled and frightened her.

She hadn't known what to expect, and if she was honest with herself, she had felt a bit wary of what she was getting herself into. All her doubt happened to fly right out her head when she felt the press of his bare chest against her own. The contact had been unfamiliar, and yet it set her aflame.

Every logical thought had seemed to escape her, and the only thing on her mind had been how she wanted _more._ She wanted to feel him entirely. She wanted to feel him all over – his skin, the muscles of his back, his lips pressed against every inch of her. She was driven solely on the need to have him everywhere.

In the course of her life, Maria had never been driven by desire, but something about the way Georg touched and kissed her had elicited a need that Maria didn't even know she had. She acted on completely primal urges to take the delicious pleasure coursing through her body higher. Though entirely inexperienced in such a situation, her body had seemed to react on instinct. Her hips rolled against his on an accord of their own, her body pressed against his in a desperate attempt to feel more of him, her lips attacked his with a passion she didn't know lay within her.

It was heavenly, she reflected. The feelings and pleasure he was able to elicit from her were unlike anything she had ever known. The way she had touched her, both with a gentleness and fierceness had been extraordinary.

She waited for the guilt and regret to work its way under her skin at the memory of what they had done the night before, but it never came. She expected to feel disgusted with herself. Having only have just gotten involved with Georg, she expected to feel guilt for giving herself to him so easily, but the guilt never came.

She couldn't feel the disgust she believed she ought to. He had made her feel incredible in ways she couldn't possibly have imagined. She had been entirely honest when she had told him that she trusted him, she had. And he had been gentler and more tender than she could have anticipated. He had taken his time to make her feel immense pleasure, while being incredibly patient with her lack of experience. In those moments they shared with every inch of him covering every inch of her, she couldn't feel anything besides want, adoration, and desire.

She was brought out of her reverie when Georg's arm tightened around her waist, his face nuzzling into her hair. She let her face break into a smile as she felt him wrapped around her.

"Good morning," he muttered into her hair, his voice still husky from sleep, eliciting a shudder down her spine. She began to turn in his arms, wanting to see his face. He loosened his grip, allowing her to turn fully towards him. Her heart stilled in her chest when she caught sight of his face.

He looked at her with a sleepy smile on his face, his hair completely mussed and the untamed waves sticking up in places all over his head. It seemed entirely impossible for him to be more handsome, but in that moment, his head resting against the pillows and the faint dimples making an appearance on his cheeks, Maria was convinced he had never been more handsome.

"Good morning," she replied. She felt his hand rest on her hip, his thumb tracing small circles on her skin. His smile grew as his eyes scanned over her face. The dimples were out in full force, and she found him entirely irresistible. He lifted his head, bringing it closer to her own to press a chaste kiss against her lips. Her eyes closed as she felt the sparks all over her body at his touch.

He let his head fall back against the pillows, and Maria opened her eyes to find him gazing at her with adoration. She felt her face flush under his watchful eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She presumed he was referring to the previous night. She gave a soft smile at his concern. His worrying about her made her feel important; it made her feel cared for in a way she wasn't sure she had ever known.

"Yes," she said, eliciting another grin from Georg. "Are you okay?"

"No," he replied. Maria frowned at her answer and wondered if she had done something wrong. His light laugh caused her thoughts to stop, along with her heart. "I'm more than okay. I'm amazing."

Maria had to smile at that. He looked incredibly at peace in the moment, and it looked good on him. Before she could reply, he was moving. He rolled over her, holding himself up on his forearms as he gazed down at her.

"I'll tell you why," he said, pressing a kiss to her nose. He moved his lips to her temple. "Because a beautiful," he muttered against her skin before pressing another kiss to her cheek, "incredible," another kiss to her jaw this time, "wonderful," a kiss under her jaw, "breathtaking woman," a kiss behind her ear before he sucked lightly at the skin, causing Maria to gasp, "woke up in my arms this morning."

Maria felt her body tremble at his words as his breath whispered across the shell of her ear. He brought his head back to look down at her, a fond smile on his face. She looked up at him and saw the clear oceans of his eyes darken with desire. The sight of him above her, gazing down at her with clear admiration in his eyes, was enough to stir something familiar deep within her.

Her hand travelled into her hair, the soft locks slipping through her fingertips like silk. She brought his head down slowly, needing to feel his lips on hers. At first, the touch of their lips was tender, soft, a delicate dance of the feelings that stir between them. It wasn't until Georg lowered himself ever so slightly and Maria felt the hard evidence of just how much he wanted her against her lower abdomen that her lips parted, and his tongue was sliding into her mouth.

Her body was once again set alight at the taste of him on her tongue, and the feel of his weight covering her. Her free hand slipped around to his back, her fingertips digging into the muscles of his lower back gently, causing him to moan into her mouth. It was easy to lose herself in Georg, she reflected, perhaps too easy.

It was then that a loud, insistent knocking sounded throughout the room, followed by the jiggle of the doorknob. His head snapped away from her as he looked over his shoulder towards the door. Maria felt her blood run cold.

"Father! We can't find Maria," a small voice urged from the other side. Maria felt a chill go through her veins as she recognized Brigitta's voice. Her heart sped up at the prospect of getting caught in Georg's bed.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They were both frozen in place as they let it sink in what was happening. The only sound in the room was the sound of their mixed ragged breaths, and the frantic beating of their hearts.

"Father!" Brigitta's voice exclaimed again. That seemed to spring Georg into action as he hopped off of Maria, standing next to the bed. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and looked turned it on.

"Oh god," he groaned. Maria sat up, looking at him with bewildered eyes.

"What?" she asked in a hushed whisper. Georg showed her the time on his screen, and she immediately felt the panic flood through her. It was past eight-thirty. Breakfast had already commenced, the entire household was awake, and Maria wasn't where she was supposed to be.

"I'll be right there, Brigitta," he called in the direction of the door before running into closet. Maria sat there, not knowing exactly what to do. She couldn't very well let Brigitta see her sat in her father's bed, undressed at that, but where was she supposed to go? What was she supposed to do? Georg stumbled out of the closet, struggling to do up his jeans.

"What do we do?" she asked. Georg glanced over at her before averting his eyes and letting out a quiet groan. He retreated back into the closet before coming out with two shirts. He threw one in her direction.

"Put that on, I can't think when you look like that," he said. Maria's eyebrows furrowed but she slipped her arms into the soft material of the dress shirt, her fingers fumbling to do up the buttons.

"Like what?" she asked. Georg wouldn't look at her. Instead, he shoved his own shirt over his head and kept his eyes directed at the wall.

"Undressed and sitting in my bed," he replied, his voice coming out as a low growl. Her face began to feel incredibly hot at his words. She tried to focus on doing up the buttons instead of the implications of his words. Another insistent knock came at the door. Maria looked up when she heard Georg growl again.

"Somehow, this is much worse," he muttered, his eyes roaming over her dressed in his shirt. Her face had to be scarlet now. She finished doing up the buttons before Georg's voice sounded again.

"In the bathroom," he said in a hushed whisper. Maria got out of the bed but paused as their trail of clothes caught her attention. "Maria, we don't have time."

"The clothes," she whispered back to him. Georg looked down at the floor, his eyes scanning over the various articles of clothing scattered across the carpet. She swore she saw the hue of his face darken ever so slightly as his eyes roamed over the clothing trail of their activities from the night before.

Without any further hesitation, Georg bent down, gathering the clothes in a bundle in his arms before handing them to Maria. With one last glance of worry, she made her way into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as she could before leaning against the door.

She could hear his footsteps as he crossed the floor to the bedroom door. She heard the telltale click of him unlocking the door and wondered when the hell he had locked it last night. She didn't dwell on it; it was a blessing that he had.

"Now, what is so important at such an ungodly hour?" she heard his voice ask. She marvelled at how calm and collected he sounded, considering the position they had been in only moments before. She certainly didn't feel calm in any sense.

"It's eight-thirty, father," she heard Brigitta tell Georg. Maria couldn't believe they had slept in so late. She was typically an early riser. She knew Georg also tended to wake rather early, so at the prospect that they had slept in past breakfast, she was shocked.

"I must have slept in. Now, what's this about Maria?" he asked. Maria bit her lip. Would Brigitta somehow know that she was hiding in his room?

"We can't find her. She's not in her room. When she didn't come to wake us up, we went to find her, but she wasn't there," Brigitta said frantically. Maria swore the girl hadn't even taken a breath as she spoke.

"Did you check the gardens? I know she likes to take walks in the morning," he replied gently. Maria smiled to herself at the mention of the gardens. In the last week, she and Georg had taken a few walks through the gardens before the children woke up. It was one of the rare times that they could talk without any interruptions.

"No, we didn't check the gardens. But why would she have missed breakfast?" Brigitta asked, the concern clear in her voice. Maria smiled at the worry Brigitta had for her well being. It was rather nice to be worried about, Maria was realizing.

"Well, she doesn't entirely have the best time management skills," she heard Georg reply. Maria let out an audible scoff at his statement before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Had she completely ruined her cover? If she had, it was entirely Georg's fault.

"What was that?" Brigitta's voice sounded. Maria clamped her eyes shut, praying she hadn't compromised them.

"I'm sure it was nothing. I left a window open in the bathroom last night. Sweetheart, I'm sure Maria is fine. Why don't you go see if you can find her outside? I'll be down in a few minutes, and I'll help with the search," he said smoothly. Maria marvelled at the way he was able to sell a lie in an almost cool manner.

"Okay. You'll be down soon?" she heard the girl ask sweetly.

"Yes. Just let me get ready," Georg replied. Maria heard a muffled exchange of goodbyes before she heard the door click shut. Only seconds later, the door to the en-suit was being flung open to reveal Georg.

"That was close," he muttered. His eyes scanned her face before his gaze seemed to drop down to her body clad in his shirt. She didn't miss the way his tongue flicked out to lick his lips as his gaze travelled further south. Maria fought off the shiver that threatened to run down her spine as his eyes roamed over her, an insatiable hunger deep within them.

Almost as if realizing he was blatantly staring at her, he shook his head, his eyes coming back up to meet hers. She watched a weak smile form on his face.

"I haven't slept in so late in a very long time," he told her. She nodded in agreement, brushing past him. She tried to will her body to calm down. With the threat of being caught still looming over her, and the heat of Georg's stare burning through her, Maria felt her nerves stand on end. She walked over to the bed and placed the bundle of clothes down before sorting through them. She frowned as she registered the dampness of the material.

Not more than a moment had passed before she felt an arm slide around her waist. She leaned back into his warmth. His lips came to kiss just under her jaw, nipping lightly at the skin. She couldn't fight the shiver that ran down her spine as she felt his warmth breath tickle her skin. For a moment, she let her eyes flutter shut as Georg continued his attentions. For a moment, she just let herself revel in the heat of his touch, and the way it made her whole body come alive.

After a moment, her eyes opened, and she was reminded of the situation they were in. The children were still looking for her and were likely to come back at any moment to request their father's assistance. Her hand came to rest over his on her waist.

"Georg," she said. He didn't stop, his lips pressing open mouthed kisses insistently along her neck.

"Hm?" he muttered against her skin. Maria very nearly groaned at the vibrations his voice made against her neck.

"I-I need to leave," she told him. She heard his groan of disapproval, but he backed away all the same. She grabbed her leggings, slipping them over her legs. She winced at the dampness. It certainly wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but it was all the clothing she had. She went to unbutton Georg's shirt but was stopped by his voice.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She could hear the strain in his voice. She had almost forgotten that he was standing behind her, watching her get dressed. Her face burned with mortification. She turned towards him.

"I was going to change my shirt and give this one back to you," she replied. She watched as he shook his head, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips.

"If you take that off, the likelihood that I let you leave the room is slim," he told her, his eyes turning dark. Maria felt the flush travel down her chest. Her heart hammered at his words. "Just take it for now. It looks far better on you than it ever did on me, anyways."

"What if I run into the children?" she asked. His smirk widened.

"They could be searching the gardens for another twenty minutes for you. I doubt that you'll run into one of them," he told her. She nodded weakly, feeling her knees turning to jelly at the uninhibited way his eyes roamed over her. She turned quickly, hoping to hide the blush in her cheeks. She picked up her clothes and bundled them in her arms.

When she turned back, she saw that he had made his way to the door, peeking his head out into the hall. She walked up behind him, and he turned towards her, a smile on his face.

"You're all clear," he whispered. She gave him a smile, taking a step to exit the room. She stopped when she felt him catch her hand in his. Before she could process what was happening, his lips were on hers again, his hand coming to hold the back of her head. She melted into the kiss, feeling the fire within her body light up again.

Before she was able to fully appreciate the feel of his lips, he was gone again, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"I'll see you soon," he said, his hand slipping across her face in a lingering touch. She was too dazed to reply. Her head was hazy from the taste of his lips. She only nodded before walking out of the room, tiptoeing to her own room with a smile she just couldn't wipe off her face.

* * *

Maria sighed happily as the breeze blew through her hair. She looked up to the clear blue sky, her heart so full she thought it might burst. The mid-afternoon sun shone warmly on her skin. For a moment, she closed her eyes and inhaled the summer air. In that moment, everything was perfect.

The morning had been a little awkward after explaining to the children that she hadn't been missing, she had simply been on a walk off the property and had lost track of the time. She had received a few skeptical glances, as well as a hearty laugh from Georg, but none of the children made a move to question her explanation. They were simply glad to have the presence of their governess again.

The rest of the day had gone smoothly. The children had worked diligently on their studies until Georg interrupted in mid-morning to spend some time with them. She smiled as she remembered the way he had sat Gretl on his lap as he asked her to explain her math questions to him. He had glanced up at Maria, his baby girl in his arms, and he had flashed her a dazzling smile that had nearly unhinged her on the spot. It had taken all her energy to keep a straight face and turn away from his soft, unwavering gaze.

Lunch had come and gone, and the afternoon had rolled in with bright sunlight and clear skies. Georg had announced that he fancied a game of tag with his children, to which an eruption of cheers sounded at the table. The nine of them had gone directly outside to make the most of the afternoon.

The day had been so lovely that Maria felt at total peace. It was uncomplicated. It was a calm day spent with the children and Georg. She felt that nothing could come and ruin such a beautiful day.

When she felt a tap at her left side, Maria opened her eyes, her thoughts of peace escaping her.

"You're it!" Kurt exclaimed, running in the opposite direction. Maria let out a playful giggle before dashing towards the closest child she could find. That just happened to be Louisa. The girl was fast, but Maria was faster. Maria stretched her arm out, just barely grazing the girl's shoulder with her fingertips.

Louisa let out an exasperated sigh, stopping dead in her tracks as Maria took off the other way. Maria looked over her shoulder as she slowed to a jog, watching as Louisa selected her target. The girl's eyes quickly landed on her father, who was holding Marta in front of him as a shield. Louisa took off, breaking out into a sprint as she chased after her father. Georg, seeing that he was the next target, released Marta from his grip before running away from Louisa.

Maria let out a light chuckle as she watched Georg dash behind a tree. The sight of Georg playing so freely with his children created a pull deep within her heart. He was so carefree in that moment, so alive. His boyish dimples seemed to be permanently etched on his face as he dodged Louisa's attempts to catch him. His eyes were brightened, both by the sun and the activity. There was something completely refreshing about seeing him this way – seeing him happy.

She watched on as Georg continued to sprint around the yard, his second eldest daughter quickly closing in on him. In one sudden moment, he looked over his shoulder as if to gage how far behind him Louisa was, causing him to misstep on an uneven patch of grass. He fell forward, his body landing with a hard thud on the ground. Louisa stopped, a gasp escaping her lips, as the other children called out to their father.

Without thinking, Maria's feet were taking her over to where Georg's body lay facedown on the ground. As she got closer, she could hear the faint sound of his chuckle from where he lay. She approached him tentatively, crouching down next to him as the children began to surround their father.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly. Georg rolled over on his back, letting out a sigh. His eyes met hers, before scanning the worried faces of his children.

"I'm fine," he said with a light chuckle. Maria gave him a soft smile. His eyes flitted between the eight faces looming over him. "You'd think I've broken a hip or something."

A couple of the children snickered.

"Did you?" Kurt asked blankly. Georg's smile faded from his face as he lifted his head off the ground to look properly at his son.

"How old do you think I am?" Georg asked. Kurt shrugged.

"Old," the boy replied. Georg jumped up with an agility that surprised even Maria. He walked over to Kurt, ruffling his hair fondly. Maria watched as he opened his mouth to retort, but another voice cut him off.

"Surprise!" came the exclamation of a familiar tone from the terrace. Maria's eyes snapped to the terrace as she rose from the ground to find Max walking through the back doors, Elsa trailing behind him.

Maria's blood turned to ice as she laid her eyes on Elsa. The woman crossed the terrace with a grace like no other, her lips quirked in a polite smile as she eyed Georg and the children. However, her eyes grew dark as her gaze landed on Maria. Maria swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat as Elsa stared her down. Maria felt as if Elsa could see right through her, as if she knew what Maria had done.

While the previous night had been one of utter ecstasy, Maria realized with a pounding heart that she hadn't given much thought to Elsa. She suddenly felt foolish. She had disregarded a woman who likely believed that Georg was faithful to her in favour of her own desires. Wasn't that the reason they had wanted to take things slow? Weren't they taking things slow until Georg had a chance to speak to Elsa?

Maria suddenly felt dirty. The way she had disregarded the fact that there was another woman still in the picture caused all the guilt and disgust she had expected to feel earlier to seep into her bones. She felt as if she were going to be sick.

The silence was stifling in the yard. Maria averted her eyes from Elsa's unnerving stare, glancing to Georg instead. His smile had fallen as his eyes grew distant. Maria wondered if he was coming to the same realization that they had disrespected Elsa entirely.

"This is the saddest welcome I've ever received," Max scoffed. While Max's voice was one of mock exasperation, his eyes told a different story. He looked between Maria and Georg carefully, seemingly assessing the tension that had grown quickly in the summer air.

Max's voice seemed to do the trick to shake Georg from his thoughts. Maria watched as a polite smile forced its way on his face, though, she noticed it didn't reach his eyes. She desperately wanted to know what was going through his mind in that moment. Was he regretful? Was he nervous? Did he wish he could take it back? The never-ending questions were unsettling to Maria's piece of mind.

"I wasn't expecting you today," Georg said gently, his arm still around Kurt's shoulders. Maria's attention was torn from Georg when she saw Elsa descending the stairs to approach Georg. Something about the way she walked so confidently towards him made Maria's stomach twist. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kurt taking a few steps away from his father as Elsa approached.

"We would have called, but Max and I thought the surprise would be so much more fun," she told him. Elsa stood in front of Georg, giving him a light kiss on the cheek in greeting. Maria felt her stomach unsettle as she averted her eyes. She didn't feel that she had a reason to be jealous of the situation, and yet, when she watched Elsa give Georg a simple kiss on the cheek, it ignited a wave of discomfort in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away.

Maria glanced around at the children, who were giving each other looks of confusion at the entrance of Elsa and Max. Liesl's gaze fell on Maria, her eyebrow quirked in question as if asking if Maria was okay. Maria gave a small nod before looking away. She was fine. She had to be. Even if she did feel guilty and deeply uncomfortable.

"Do you mind if I borrow you, Georg?" Elsa asked sweetly. Her eyes shifted to Maria's with a fiery gaze that caused Maria's stomach to twist uncomfortably. Her look seemed to be one of possession of Georg. Georg nodded gently, shifting his eyes to Maria and offering her a small smile. Without another word, Elsa turned on her heel to walk inside, Georg trailing closely behind her.

Maria watched helplessly as Georg ascended the stairs, past a seemingly amused Max on the terrace. When they reached the doors, Georg glanced back over his shoulder, offering Maria a sad smile that deeply unsettled her. She stared blankly at the doors long after he had disappeared through them.

Was he going to talk to Elsa about everything he said he would? Was he going to tell Elsa the truth? She almost felt nauseous. She briefly wondered if Elsa would confront her. Perhaps Elsa would take it gracefully, as she seemed to do with anything, but there was something about the situation that seemed off to Maria. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. Perhaps it was just her nerves getting the best of her.

"I don't like her," Gretl's voice said, shaking Maria from her distant thoughts. She looked at the young girl who had crossed her arms over her chest, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

"Gretl, that's not nice to say," Maria said, her voice sounding distant to her ears. She struggled to regain her composure. Georg would talk to Elsa, and everything would be fine, she told herself. She only hoped that it was the truth.

"She always takes father away. I wish she never came back," Gretl whined. Maria let out an exasperated sigh as she looked around to the solemn faces of the other children. She needed to set aside her anxieties and focus on the children. They had been so happy over the past week when his attention had been almost entirely focused on them, and now they feared that with the reappearance of the guests, they would lose him again.

"I'm sure he'll come back soon," she said, more to herself than them. She watched as a few of the children nodded, but Maria could see the disappointment behind their eyes.

"Why don't you continue playing your game? I'm sure your father would love to join you when he's finished," she suggested. For a moment, none of the children moved. They stood in their spots, looking down at the ground beneath their feet with sorrow in their eyes. It wasn't until Friedrich made the first move, tapping Brigitta on the shoulder before running away.

"You're it," he called. Maria smiled. Friedrich, she had noticed, had been taking more and more initiative when it came to his younger siblings. He had become a bit of a leader. Maria smiled as she remembered when Gretl had tripped over her feet only days ago. She had cried out, tears escaping her eyes rapidly as she had scraped her knee. Before Maria or Georg could even get to her, Friedrich had her sat in his lap, brushing her tears away as he soothed her with a calming voice. He really was becoming a fine young man, and an exceptional older brother.

Maria watched for a moment as the children restarted their game. While it wasn't as enthusiastic as it had been before, each of them participated with as much energy as they could muster. Even Liesl, who had admitted to Maria that she wasn't a fan of tag, joined in. She smiled at the image, her affection for the seven of them swelling in her heart.

After a moment, Maria turned away, her gaze gravitating towards the doors Georg had disappeared through. Knowing that he likely wouldn't be coming back out of them for a while, her gaze shifted around the terrace. She spotted Max, who had taken a seat at the table. He watched the children, a wistful smile on his face. Maria made her way up the stairs and in his direction. Max could be a good distraction for her increasing anxieties.

"Maria, just the person I wanted to talk to," he said as he caught her eyes. Maria gave him a timid smile before reaching for the pitcher of water on the table, pouring herself a glass. She frowned as she emptied the pitcher.

"How are you, Max?" she asked before taking a seat.

"Oh, I'm fine," Max replied with a nonchalant shrug. His eyes landed on her, scanning her face with a hint of skepticism. Maria could feel her cheeks flush slightly at his scrutiny. Could he know what had happened? "And how are you, Maria? How did you manage this week?"

"I've been fine. The children have been quite active this week. Everything's been quite all right," she replied, straining to keep her voice as neutral as possible. She cringed slightly at the awkwardness of her words. Typically, she had no problem making small talk. What was happening to her? Why was she struggling over the simplest of conversations? She took a deep breath, desperate for her control to return to her mind.

She watched as Max narrowed his eyes in her direction. He seemed to scan her face carefully, as if trying to solve a puzzle in her features. She took a sip of her water, hoping her face wasn't displaying the insecurities she was feeling. She willed her features to remain neutral.

"And Georg?" he asked, his voice filled with an air of innuendo that Maria didn't entirely like. She very nearly choked on her water at the sound of his name. She brought the glass away from her lips, trying to get her breathing to slow. So much for Max being a good distraction.

"He's been well, I suppose," she replied, looking down at her cup of water. She was afraid of revealing too much. She was afraid of giving something away before Georg had gotten the chance to speak to Elsa. She was afraid of the way Max eyed her like a hawk.

"I was worried after the night of the dinner party. His actions were deplorable at best," he said, a finger coming up to stroke at his thin mustache absentmindedly. Maria gave a weak nod, keeping her eyes on her glass. If she looked at Max directly, she was sure her feelings would be written all over her face.

"Yes, we've discussed that," she said, feeling her face heat more as she felt Max's gaze burning a hole through her skin. For a moment, the man said nothing. He seemed to only observe Maria with a watchful eye.

"I bet you did," she heard him mutter. She was sure that she wasn't supposed to have heard the suggestive comment, but she did. She was sure she looked something akin to a tomato by now. Did he know? Would he ask her? She couldn't imagine what she would say if he did.

She couldn't take the silence anymore. She couldn't take the idea that Max somehow knew everything that had taken place that week. She couldn't take the way his eyes raked over her in an almost judgmental manner. She needed to leave, if only for a moment to catch her breath. She stood abruptly, grabbing the now empty water pitcher in her hands.

"I'm going to go get more water," she told him. She watched as he regarded her with a nod, his eyes travelling to where the children played. His steely gaze and hard-set jaw was the first indication that something was wrong. For a typically jovial man, Max's frown gave Maria cause for concern. Had she said something she wasn't supposed to? Had she given everything away? She refused to get hung up on it. If Georg was in fact talking to Elsa, Max would know everything soon enough. Whether he would be happy with the news, given his loyalty to Elsa, was another matter entirely.

She walked through the double doors, letting out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Her mind raced. Were they really going to tell people that they were involved? It suddenly seemed like too much. When it had just been her and Georg, it had been easy. What would the children think? Would Elsa be furious? Would Max despise her for breaking up his best friends?

The questions began to flood her head at an alarming rate. She had thought about these questions before, of course, but she thought she didn't think she would be facing this day so soon. She barely knew where her feelings stood.

She liked Georg, that much she was sure of. She liked the way she felt when she was with him. The way her entire body set aflame when he touched her was unlike anything she had ever experienced. He never failed to make her laugh, and his smile was enough to make her heart beat twice as fast. She knew she was attracted to him, and she knew that she felt more than just a platonic warmth towards him, that much was clear the previous night.

But how far did her feelings go? She cared for him deeply, and that frightened her beyond belief. She couldn't identify specifically where she felt she was with him. There was mutual attraction, but when Maria was with him, something else began to burn brighter from within the depths of her heart. She found herself wanting to be around him all the time. She found herself catching his eye from across the room and wanting to kiss that infuriating smirk from his face.

She knew she had never felt this way about anyone before. She had never felt like she was home just by looking into the depths of someone's eyes, as she felt with Georg. She had never felt safer than when she was wrapped in Georg's arms. She had never felt more beautiful than when Georg told her that he thought she was beautiful. She had never burned for anyone the way she did for Georg.

But did he feel the same? While he had assured her that he had feelings for her and was obviously physically attracted to her, did he want her beyond that? He had said that he hoped she would be in his life for a long time, but had he meant it? She was sure he wouldn't say anything he didn't mean, but she couldn't be entirely sure where his heart was. He wasn't exactly the type of man who wore his heart on his sleeve, unlike the way she did.

She shook her head from her thoughts. She shouldn't be concerned about where Georg's head and heart were at. With time she would find out. But as she began her trek towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but feel the nagging doubt in the corners of her mind, driving her crazy.

She shouldn't be doubting him or how he felt. He had been nothing but kind and patient with her the night before. She had seen the care in his eyes. She had seen the want he had for her. That was enough, right? They said they would go slow. Her feelings might have accelerated, but his might not have. She would have to treat him with the same patience he treated her with.

She was just about to the kitchen, the glass pitcher held delicately in her hands. Perhaps when she ventured back outside, Georg would be waiting there. The thought brought a smile to her face. Just as she was about to turn into the kitchen, she heard a voice.

"Maria!" Maria stopped in her tracks and turned to find one of the maids skipping down the hall. She recognized her as Heidi, one of the newer maids. She was around Maria's age, and she had always been nothing but kind to Maria, if not a little chatty at times. Maria didn't often mind though; it had been nice to have an ally at the beginning of her stay in the von Trapp house.

"Heidi, how are you?" Maria asked, greeting the girl with a smile. Heidi returned her smile, a beaming grin on her face.

"You'll never believe what I found in the Captain's room this morning while cleaning up," Heidi exclaimed. Maria's blood turned to ice for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Had she left something behind in Georg's room that morning? Had they been discovered? Maria stared blankly at the girl in front of her. Words seemed to completely escape her in that moment.

"Take a guess," Heidi said. The girl was practically vibrating with excitement. Maria shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts. Her mind kept wandering back to his room, and whether or not she had forgotten something there.

"I wouldn't have a clue," Maria replied, her voice wavering slightly. She covered it by clearing her throat. If Heidi noticed, she didn't seem to care.

"A ring!" Heidi exclaimed in an excited whisper. Maria was taken aback by that. She hadn't known Georg to be a ring man. But then again, she figured there were probably several things she didn't know about him; one of which could have been that he was inclined towards rings. Though, she noted, he had never worn one.

"A ring?" Maria asked, an eyebrow quirked. She let herself feel relief flood through her veins. Her heart started beating normally again. At least, she hadn't left anything behind that would indicate she had been there. Though she doubted the importance of a ring in his room. Why would Heidi be telling her about it?

"An engagement ring, silly," Heidi said. That stopped Maria's heart entirely. She didn't have much time to process the words _engagement ring_ before Heidi was speaking again. "He's finally going to propose to Mrs. Schraeder!"

Maria felt as if she couldn't breathe, as the words struck her square in the chest. He wouldn't… Would he? He had told her that his and Elsa's relationship had been somewhat casual over the years. He had told her that he didn't see Elsa in his future. He had told her it would be over with Elsa the moment she returned. But why on earth would he have an engagement ring? There has to be a logical explanation, she told herself.

"Maybe you're mistaken," Maria said weakly. The girl had to be mistaken. Perhaps she had found Agathe's engagement ring in his room. Or maybe there was a different explanation entirely. Heidi shook her head at Maria.

"I thought that at first too. I thought it could have been his first wife's, but then I remembered that her rings, along with his wedding band, were kept in the attic. Mrs. Schmidt warns all the maids never to go snooping around up there because all his wife's stuff is up there. It must be for Mrs. Schraeder! And good riddance. I hear he was a bit of a cad before he met her," Heidi said. Maria stilled, her hands gripping the glass pitcher in her hands just a little tighter. That was new information.

"I didn't picture him as that sort of man," Maria replied quietly. Georg had assured her the night they met that he didn't often go around picking up women at clubs. She had no reason to doubt him in that regard. Or did she have reason to doubt him? He had spoken about the utter and complete loss he had felt after his wife had died, but he had never gone into detail about what he had done in the years after her death before he met Elsa. She shook her head of the thoughts. She shouldn't question him. She trusted him.

"Oh, yes. Mrs. Schmidt told me that after his poor wife died, he would get into these drunken stupors and sleep around. I think it was because he couldn't handle the pain, but once he met Mrs. Schraeder, they were nearly attached at the hip. One time, he spent three months in Vienna without returning," Heidi informed.

Maria's heart seemed to stop beating. She felt her faith in Georg waver. Had he lied to her? If he had, she supposed it hadn't been any of her business really, but the fact that he had told her that he didn't do that sort of thing stung deep in her chest. Perhaps she really had just been a woman in a club he was trying to pick up and take to his bed.

She wasn't sure if the lying stung more or the way Heidi spoke of him and Elsa. Maria had never seen Georg be overly warm towards Elsa, nor had he told her that he felt anything more that fleeting attracting towards Elsa. She had assumed that Elsa and Georg were distantly involved in a casual way. Had she been wrong? Had she misread Georg's feelings entirely?

"I thought the two of you were rather close. I thought he might have mentioned something to you about Mrs. Schraeder," Heidi said. Maria blinked twice before looking back up at the girl.

"Erm, no," Maria replied, trying to still her rapidly beating heart. She could see why Georg wouldn't be entirely forward with the pieces of his life where he had felt broken and perhaps desperate for the physical closeness of another person. He had made mistakes that he was likely keen to forget – that she could understand in a sense, whether she liked it or not. But it didn't explain the rest of it – the engagement ring for one.

Had she horribly misread Georg's intentions? He had said that he didn't want a future with Elsa, but two years was a significant amount of time to spend with someone. Elsa likely knew Georg better than Maria did. What if she had been wrong? What if Georg really did love Elsa? He had told her that he didn't, but could he be in denial?

"Maria, you're quite pale, are you all right?" Heidi asked. Maria brought herself from her daze to force a weak smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. Would you mind bringing this pitcher to the kitchen to be filled?" Maria asked. Heidi gave her a skeptical look but took the pitcher from Maria's trembling hands.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Heidi asked. Maria nodded, but she didn't feel okay. She felt dizzy from the never-ending questions flying through her mind.

"Yes, I think I've got a bit of a headache today is all," she replied, her voice sounding foreign to her ears.

"Okay, I'll see you later," the girl said in her typical whimsical fashion, before continuing down the hall towards the kitchen. Maria took a shaky breath as she processed the information that she had been made aware of.

An engagement ring didn't necessarily mean anything, did it? Georg had to have a reasonable explanation. She had no reason to doubt him. Besides, what did Heidi really know? Maria couldn't help but feel a nervous tug at her stomach. Something didn't seem right. She felt as if her sanity was crumbling with all the unknowns that were suddenly so present before her; the unknowns she had failed to consider earlier.

She needed to talk to Georg. Surely, he would explain things. Surely, he would calm her increasingly frantic mind of the doubts that began to fester in her head. Surely, he would tell her that there was no reason to be upset, right?

She made her way down the hall. Where would she find him? Elsa had whisked him off for a conversation, but he couldn't have gone too far. She walked towards one of the sitting rooms where she could hear muffled voices. He was still talking to Elsa. She took a deep breath. She certainly wouldn't interrupt them, but perhaps she could wait until he was done to speak to him.

Discreetly, she walked towards the room. Her curiosity got the better of her, as it often did. She expected to see a fuming Elsa, or at least a visibly upset Elsa. She expected to see an awkward and strained exchange between the two. However, as her eyes landed on the two figures in the room, her eyes just about popped out of her head, her mind feeling as if it were collapsing in on itself.

As she peered in past the door, she saw Georg with his arms wrapped around Elsa in a tight embrace. Her arms were around him in turn, her hands smoothing over the planes of his back. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before whispering something in his ear. She heard Georg let out a laugh at whatever Elsa had whispered to him before he moved his head back to look Elsa in the eye, fixing her with a fond smile. Elsa smiled back as her eyes scanned Georg's face.

Elsa certainly didn't seem upset, and she definitely didn't look like a woman who had just been told the man she had been seeing for two years didn't see a future with her. No, Elsa looked oddly at peace, and it made Maria's gut twist as the doubts formed back in her mind twice as strong.

Maria felt her heart sink. Had she been so wrong? So foolish to think that Georg would break things off with Elsa to be with her? She had this foolish notion in her head that she and Georg might have been heading towards something real, something serious. But in that moment, she realized that he had never made her any promises.

He had been kind and hopeful in his words, yes. He had told that he had feelings towards her, but he had never made any claims for their future, besides saying that he hoped she would be in his and the children's lives for a long time. Thinking about it, that could have meant something entirely different from how she received it. Perhaps, she thought with a sinking feeling, he had only said it in the moment to satisfy her question in the moment.

She walked away from the door, not wanting to witness anymore of what seemed like an intimately private moment. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going. Her feet carried her blindly. She just knew that she had to get away. She had to get away from him. She had to get away from the situation. She needed to get away and just breathe, but her lungs felt as if they were being filled with water rather than air.

She found herself walking towards her room, her mind racing with thoughts. She began to decompartmentalize everything that happened between her and Georg.

He had seemed evasive of the Elsa topic whenever she brought it up. He wouldn't ignore the question, but he had typically brushed it off with a vague answer rather than talking more about it. She thought of their conversation the night before.

"_What are you going to tell Elsa?"_

"_I'll tell her the truth. I'll tell her that it's not working and that I can't go on living a lie. I'll tell her that it's unfair to the both of us. I'll also have to confirm her suspicions about us."_

If Georg had told Elsa that, she didn't wear any indication of it on her face. In fact, Elsa looked blissfully happy. Did he tell Elsa a lie? Or did he not have the heart to tell her the truth due to some sense of loyalty to her? Or worse, some semblance of love for her?

Maria let her mind run away from her as her feet carried her to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, leaning against the wood for support as her legs began to feel as if they were about to give out on her.

Georg wouldn't have lied to her, would he? Then again, Heidi's words echoed through her mind.

"_Mrs. Schmidt told me that after his poor wife died, he would get into these drunken stupors and sleep around."_

If he hadn't been honest that night, had he been dishonest about anything else? She began to question how well she really knew Georg. They had rushed into their feelings. Once they had expressed their mutual attraction towards one, they acted on passion rather than sense. While they had taken the time to talk about their pasts, they hadn't really discussed the futures, and now that she thought about it, most of their conversations had ended with more kissing than words.

Not once in the time that they had spent together did Maria consider Georg to be untruthful, but then again, they _had_ rushed in headfirst in a way. Maria had thought she had addressed the situation with Elsa, but clearly, she hadn't addressed it enough. Clearly, she didn't know what lay between Georg and Elsa in the two years that he had been involved with Elsa.

Maria wanted to believe that he was being completely honest about his feelings towards her, but there was something that seemed to be off about the situation. The engagement ring for one. Elsa's blissful state as she spoke to Georg for another. He had been quite vague when he spoke to Maria about the future as well. He had never made any promises or claims. He admitted to wanting to be with her, but had he also wanted to be with Elsa at the same time?

Hadn't Mrs. Schmidt even told her on her first night that she expected Georg to propose to Elsa by the end of the summer? Maria shook her head, her eyes clamping shut as she remembered the words of the housekeeper.

"_I shouldn't be telling you this, but I trust that you won't say a word to anyone, I've got my money on the fact that he will propose by the end of the summer!"_

Would Mrs. Schmidt have been so wrong? She had known Georg for a number of years. While Maria had only heard Georg's side of things, she couldn't attest to the nature of his relationship with Elsa. Perhaps there was more going on that Maria hadn't seen. Perhaps she had been wrong in believing Georg.

Her heart fell in her chest. She didn't think Georg was a liar. She trusted him with a capacity she had never known. She wanted to believe there was a good explanation for everything, but her mind was blanking on all the reasons she could use to prove her doubts wrong. All the new information and doubts began to overwhelm her. What if he really did intend on proposing to Elsa and she had played the fool, falling into his bed without a question? If he had been a cad before, what meant that he wasn't still one?

She thought about all the things Georg had told her.

_"Is it so outrageous that someone may actually care about you and give a damn about what happens to you?"_

_"You've done more than you can imagine, Maria. From the moment I met you at that ghastly nightclub, you made me feels things I wasn't sure I would ever be able to feel again."_

_"What I didn't realize then was that you were it. You were the light in the dark."_

Had it all been a lie? Some cruel ploy to get her into his bed? While Georg didn't seem cruel, Maria couldn't tell anymore. Somehow, everything had become completely and utterly muddled in her mind. She couldn't be sure of what was the truth and what was a lie.

She opened her eyes, realizing a solitary tear had fallen down her face. She wiped it away with the back of her hand. She wouldn't cry, not over this.

She contemplated what to do next. Logically, she knew she should talk to Georg. She should figure out the truth. She should let him defend himself from the growing doubts in her mind. But Maria didn't always like logic. She couldn't face him, not like this. She needed to think about things. She needed to not see him. She needed to get away so that she could breathe again.

Without much thought, Maria's feet took her to her closet. She grabbed her bag and began stuffing clothes in. For a moment she wondered what the hell she was doing. She couldn't leave like this. She had made a commitment to stay until the end of summer. Wasn't that more important than whatever doubts she was feeling about Georg? The answer should have easily been yes, but there was a selfish part of her that screamed for her to leave, to escape the clutches of darkness her mind had spiraled into.

In the end, her impulses won out. She had heard about the fight or flight response, and in that moment, her response seemed to be flight. She hated herself for it. She had always prided herself on being a fighter. She fought for what she believed in and for what she thought was right. Why couldn't she now? Why couldn't she stay and confront Georg the way she knew she ought to?

She gathered all of her clothes into her bag, along with the few personal items she had. She stilled when her eyes landed on the shirt Georg had given her to wear that morning hung up in the closet. Tears began to form in her eyes once again, but she would not let them fall. Her hand reached out to stroke the material with her fingertips. She felt a pang in her heart as the material slipped through her fingertips.

She let her mind travel back to that morning. He had been so sweet and tender, and there was a look in his eyes that had made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. How could that man be untruthful? It wasn't possible was it? For a moment, she wondered if what she was doing was crazy. Perhaps she was being too rash.

She pictured the way he looked; his head against the pillows, his hair sticking out of place, the light smile on his face nearly as radiant as the morning sun filtering in through the drapes. Maria had never seen so much beauty before her. She was sure, for a split second, that she wouldn't mind waking up to that image everyday for the rest of her life.

But perhaps it had been too good to be true. Perhaps she had been too hopeful, or too naïve, or too foolish. Perhaps she had misread his looks of want for that akin to love. Tears prickled at her eyes once again as the word crossed her mind. _Love_. She had to be delusional if she had thought for a second that he might have loved her. She had to be delusional if she thought she had belonged in his life. After all, weren't they as different as two people could be?

Yes, she thought, she probably was being rash and impulsive, but she couldn't stay here. Not while her mind was a wreck trying to process everything. She wouldn't be able to look at him without the doubts creeping from the corners of her mind. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he confirmed the doubts that were weighing heavy on her heart.

She turned away from the closet abruptly, her eyes landing on the pad of paper and pen that lay on her desk. She walked over, picking up the pen in her hand and staring at the piece of paper. Her hand came down, and two solitary words were scribbled across the paper.

_I'm sorry._

Two words. That's all she could manage without letting the tears fall over. She knew if she cried, she wouldn't be able to stop. She couldn't afford to cry right now. God forbid someone find her. Those two words didn't seem to say enough, but it was all she could muster. She didn't quite know what she was sorry about. Was she sorry about leaving? Was she sorry that she doubted him? Was she sorry that she needed to leave rather than talk to him, lest the doubts crush her very soul? She wasn't quite sure; she only knew that she was sorry that this was the way it had to be in the moment.

She placed the pen down before gathering up her bags. She took one last look around the room she had become so fond of. She pictured the children jumping on her bed the night of the thunderstorm, watching and laughing while she sang to them.

_The children_. How could she leave them? Each and everyone of them had left an imprint on her heart. She had come to care about them more fiercely than she could have ever imagined. In her own way, she loved those seven children with all of her heart. She briefly considered what she was doing. Would it crush them? Could she bear to cause them that sort of pain?

She shook her head. She couldn't stay, she knew that much. As much as she loved the children, she knew they could handle it. She wasn't their mother; she was a governess. She would have had to leave eventually, and they knew that. She was just leaving a little earlier than expected. Besides, with their relationship repaired with their father, she was sure they wouldn't need a governess soon enough. They had their father now, and that, Maria believed, was enough. It was all they had ever wanted.

She stopped her thoughts. She didn't want to think about the way she might cause the children pain with her absence. If she stayed, she would only be causing her own pain. With a sigh, Maria turned, opening the door gently, before walking out the door and off to make her exit.

* * *

Georg had been wary about entering the house with Elsa. After experiencing an entirely blissful night and a peaceful day, Elsa and Max's entrance had put a slight damper on his mood. He hadn't missed the way Maria's eyes had flashed with anxiety as he entered the house. All he could do was give her a weak smile before he was whisked away to what he assumed was going to be a very painful conversation.

Elsa had led him to one of the sitting rooms, and his nerves began to stand on end. How should he start? Should he just come right out and say it? Should he ease into the conversation? He was at a loss with how to start a conversation of such a nature. His mind flashed back to Maria and the perfect way she had looked in his arms that morning. He needed to do something. He needed to say something so that he could wake up like that everyday; with her in his arms and his heart so full that it could burst with the love he held for her.

"How have you been, Georg?" Elsa asked, turning to face him as they stopped in the room. For all intents and purposes, she looked to be the ever-polite Elsa he knew but brewing beneath those blue eyes was something dark. He could see the suspicions and skepticism cloud her features. Georg swallowed the lump in his throat. He needed to say something. He couldn't just stand there like a deer in headlights.

"I've been well, and you? How is your aunt?" he asked, his voice surprisingly level. He supposed he would ease into the conversation.

"I've been fine. My aunt will be fine. She's in rehabilitation right now. She'll have to learn basic functions again, but she's alive," Elsa said. Her voice almost sounded bored. Georg nodded gently, a moment passing before he made his response.

"I'm glad to hear that she's okay," he said rather awkwardly. Elsa eyed him curiously, her gaze burning through him. He felt like she was seeing right through him, as if she already knew what he was about to say. He felt heat begin to prickle at the back of his neck as the silence stretched on. He knew he had to start the conversation, but he couldn't seem to figure out how. He had run the scenario over in his head several times, but now, his words escaped him.

"Have you thought about what we discussed before I left?" she asked, ending the several minute silence. Elsa appeared to have no problem diving into the conversation. Georg took in a shaky breath. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. _You have to do this_, he told himself, _for Maria_.

"I have," he said. He wanted to tell her everything. Why couldn't he just tell her? For some reason he choked on all the words he needed to say to her. Elsa scanned his face with her eyes for a few long moments before looking down at her feet, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"You want her, don't you?" she asked, her gaze coming up to meet his again. There it was. Georg gave a weak nod, still at a loss for words. He struggled to find something to say that would make the situation better. He doubted there were any. For a moment Elsa was quiet before she let out a dry laugh and turned away from him completely. "I asked you over and over if there was something going on, Georg, and you always told me no."

So, she was upset. Georg had expected this, he had run through the scenario in his mind, but he found himself completely unprepared. There was nothing he could say to justify his actions or his lies. Minutes passed before he found his words.

"Nothing was going on. Not at the time," he replied as gently as he could. It was a futile response, but it was all he could muster. He heard Elsa scoff, a sound that allowed the guilt to stir within him.

"But something is going on now?" she asked. Georg swallowed hard as he tried to push his discomfort away. She needed to know. He owed her that much.

"Yes," he said truthfully. Elsa was quiet for another moment as Georg regained his composure. He had to focus on why he was doing this. He let his eyes close as he thought of Maria. Telling Elsa the truth would set him free. He would be able to be with Maria without having to hide or feel guilt, and wouldn't that be worth it in the end? _Of course, it would_, he told himself.

"Two years, Georg. We've been seeing each other for two years, and you're going to let that all end over the _governess_?" she asked. Georg's eyes opened and he scanned the back of her head as he took in her words. While he understood she was upset, his blood began to boil at her use of 'the governess'. Maria was so much more than the governess to him. She was much more than a caregiver to his children. She happened to be the very being who had captured his heart.

"She's not just the governess," he stated, keeping the edge out of his voice the best that he could. Elsa turned back to face him. Her face was formed in a deep frown that he wasn't accustomed to seeing on her.

"Well, not anymore. I'm sure you've made certain that she's _not just the governess_," she said, the venom in her voice clear. Georg winced at the double meaning in her words. Could she somehow see on his face what had taken place the night before?

"It wasn't like that," he replied gently. As much as her words stung, he wouldn't react. He didn't want to make things worse than they already were.

"What is it like, Georg? A week ago, you were assuring me that nothing was going on, and now, all of a sudden, you're willing up to give up everything for her?" she spat.

"I don't know how it happened. All I know is that once I realized where my feelings stood, I couldn't lie to myself anymore," he replied neutrally. Elsa didn't respond right away. She shook her head. Her eyes scanned the rug as she seemed to think about what she would say next. After several moments with the silence suspending in the air between them, she sighed deeply before looking back up at him. Where her eyes had been filled with anger before, they had softened considerably.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get upset," she said, the cool grace of her voice coming back to her naturally. Georg's eyebrows shot up. She was apologizing? He had expected her to be upset, and he had expected her to stay upset. He had half expected her to start hurling things in his direction at the way he had practically wasted two years. He had not expected that she would become accepting at the flick of a switch. Perhaps he should have. Elsa had always been all grace and beauty above expressing her emotions outright.

"You have every right to be upset with me," he said. She gave him a weak smile, her face composed in a way that indicated no trace of hurt or anger.

"I knew. The way you looked at her, well, you never looked at me that way," she said, brief sorrow flashing in her eyes before it faded quickly.

"I am sorry, Elsa. I never wanted to hurt you," he told her sincerely. It was true, he had never wanted to hurt Elsa. He knew he didn't love her, and he knew he never would, but that didn't mean he didn't care about hurting her. He wished he could have avoided it, and in his heart, he knew he could have if he had been honest with himself earlier on. He would never stop feeling regret for that fact.

"I know," she replied. Georg offered her a sad smile. "We never would have worked anyways. You're far to independent. I need someone who needs me."

Georg let out a light laugh. He felt relief flood through him as she made light of the situation. After the twisting of his gut when they had entered the room, it felt nice to laugh.

"There's a lucky man out there who will need you desperately," he said earnestly. Elsa chuckled.

"Yes, I'm sure there is," she said. For a moment, they only looked at each other. Georg could feel the shift in the room as one thing began to end to allow something new begin.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," he told her. Elsa only shook her head.

"You have to follow your heart. In the time that I've known you, you've never followed your heart," she replied. Georg gave her a smile, knowing the truth in her words. He had seldom done anything that followed the desires of his heart since his wife had died. He had done selfish things, sure, but he hadn't done a thing to bring himself happiness. Not until Maria, at least. "I do wish you every happiness, Georg."

He was humbled by her statement and the gracious way she seemed to handle everything. She stepped towards him, moving to wrap her arms around him in a hug. He was surprised but wrapped his arms around her in return. He would always value the time they had spent together, and the support that Elsa had given him through the years.

"Maria is a sweet girl," she said, placing a gentle kiss against his cheek. "And I think she'll be a wonderful mother to those children one day."

Georg let out a nervous laugh. Was he so transparent? He pulled back to look Elsa in the eye. He smiled fondly at her, admiring the way she was able to understand the situation.

"Thank you, Elsa. I do hope we can still be friends," he told her. Elsa let out a light laugh of her own.

"We must be friends, or else we will have to decide who gets custody of Max," Elsa said with a playful smile. Georg laughed, releasing Elsa from his grip.

"You're welcome to stay here if you'd like," he told her. While he knew Maria would be wary, it wasn't quite fair to expect Elsa to leave after she had made the long journey once already that day. Elsa only shook her head.

"Thank you, but I think it's best I go back to Vienna. My bags are still packed. If you could have Franz drive me to the train station, I'll be out of your hair within the hour," she said. Georg raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes. But if you don't mind, will you keep Max here? The journey here was tiresome. He won't stop talking about the upcoming music festival," she said, a smile on her face. Georg nodded.

"I'm sure I can keep him busy," he replied. Elsa flashed him a grateful smile before walking towards the door. He watched as she walked off, marvelling at the way the conversation had gone. He looked down to his feet, shaking his head. Elsa had let him off incredibly easy, far easier than he deserved.

"And Georg?" her voice caused his head to snap up to look at the door. Elsa stood there, a knowing smile on her face. Georg raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Just tell the poor girl you're in love with her already."

His eyes widened. Apparently, he was that transparent. He wondered how long Elsa had known where his heart laid. With that, Elsa walked through the doors and was out of his sight. Georg stood still as he stared blankly at the door.

His veins filled with adrenaline. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of him. His body felt as if it were buzzing with the newfound excitement that began to flutter in his heart. He was free. He was free to love Maria. He was free to tell everyone about the woman who had completely changed his world. He was free to be with Maria out of the shadows.

His feet were moving before his mind had caught up. He made his way towards the foyer, marching through the backdoors in search of her. He watched Max's head turn at his abrupt entrance.

"Oh, Georg, there you are," he said. While Max was typically a rather enthusiastic person, his expression seemed grimmer. Georg couldn't bring himself to be bothered by his change in mood. His mind had one path at the moment.

"Where's Maria?" Georg asked, his eyes scanning the yard where his children were playing tag. He looked for her golden hair but couldn't catch sight of her.

"She went inside to fill the water pitcher," Max replied. Georg nodded slowly, trying not to display his disappointment. Now that he was free to be with her, he didn't want to waste a second. In fact, he was ready to announce to the children then and there about what their governess meant to him, but he wouldn't do so without Maria.

"Georg," Max's voice brought Georg's gaze down to the seated figure. "Did something happen?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked, his heart rate increasing. How could Max have known?

"I was talking to Maria after you went inside. She turned crimson when I mentioned your name," Max stated. Georg sighed. He supposed there was no use in lying to Max. Georg moved towards the table, sitting in the chair next to Max.

"It's complicated," he started. Georg swore Max's eyes just about bulged out of his head.

"Does Elsa know?" Max asked. Georg nodded and watched as Max visibly relaxed a little.

"I just talked to her," Georg responded.

"And?"

"She was upset at first, but she took it quite gracefully," Georg replied, a smile on his face that he couldn't quite seem to wipe off. Max was silent for a moment, studying Georg carefully.

"And Maria?" Max asked. Georg's smile widened as he looked down at his hands.

"We're taking it slow," he said. Max scoffed.

"Slow my ass. You're wearing your 'I got laid' grin. And Maria couldn't even look me in the eye earlier," Max probed. Georg looked up at Max, unable to hide the smile from his face despite Max's comment. "I'm happy for you, Georg. Maria is a wonderful girl. I'm not quite sure what she sees in you though."

Georg shook his head, unable to even continue the banter. He was too happy in that moment to verbally spar with Max. Max flashed him a genuine smile before patting Georg on the shoulder.

"Father!" Louisa's voice forced his eyes back to the yard. "Will you join us?"

Georg smiled in his children's direction as he stood from his seat.

"Be careful out there, old man," Max jested. Georg looked over his shoulder to give Max a mock glare before continuing his path to the yard.

"Uncle Max! You can play too!" Kurt exclaimed. Georg heard Max give a hearty laugh.

"I think I'll have more fun watching," Max replied. Georg shook his head as he joined his gaggle of children. Instantly, Gretl ran up to him, her hand striking his thigh.

"You're it!" she exclaimed. Georg let out a laugh as he began to chase Friedrich, who was the closest target.

The game felt good to Georg. With his newfound freedom, he felt that he had energy to burn. However, he couldn't stop his eyes from travelling to the terrace. He kept hoping to see her figure emerge from the doors. He wasn't even sure what he would do when she would walk through those doors. His mind reminded him that he would have to stay calm, but a part of him deep in his heart told him to break out into a sprint and kiss her like his life depended upon it. That would be one way to tell the children, he thought as he ran away from Liesl, who was now it.

However, the longer the game went on, the more Georg noticed Maria's absence. He glanced at his watch. It had to have been nearly half an hour since he had come outside. She couldn't possibly still be filling the water pitcher. Georg stopped in his tracks. Something was beginning to feel off. Discomfort began to twist in the pit of his stomach.

"Children, I'll be right back," he said, his voice sounding distant. He heard a few moans of disappointment, but they ceased when Marta tackled Kurt before squealing that he was now it.

Georg hastily made his way across the yard. He walked up the stairs to the terrace, his eyes glued to the door.

"Everything all right?" Max asked as Georg walked past him. Georg stopped and looked at the man, who had grabbed a bottle of wine from Georg's cellar. If Georg wasn't so concerned about Maria, he might have found himself annoyed by Max's taking advantage of his hospitality. He couldn't bring himself to care in the moment.

"You didn't happen to see Maria while you were in there, did you?" Georg asked, his eyes returning to the door as if expecting to see her form walking through at any moment.

"I did not," Max replied, taking a sip of his wine. Georg acknowledged Max with a grunt before making his way to the doors. "Don't forget that it's almost dinner time, so whatever you're planning better be quick!"

Max's voice echoed behind Georg as he made his way into the house. He made his way to the kitchen, his heart beating a little faster with each step. His eyes roamed into each room as he passed them, hoping to see her blonde head peaking out of one of them.

He turned into the kitchen where his cook was working tirelessly over the stove. He spotted Mrs. Schmidt who was seemingly discussing menus with the cook.

"Mrs. Schmidt," he said, making his presence known. The woman turned towards him, her eyebrow raised in question. "Have you seen Maria?"

"Why, no. I thought she was out with the children," the housekeeper replied. Georg let a frown settle on his face.

"No, she seems to have disappeared," he muttered. Mrs. Schmidt regarded him with a look of confusion.

"Perhaps she went to her room?" Mrs. Schmidt suggested. Georg gave her a weak nod.

"Perhaps," he mumbled before walking out of the room. He walked back towards the foyer. The sinking feeling began to deepen in his stomach. Something seemed entirely wrong, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what.

He reached the stairs, taking two at a time, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He felt his pace quicken as her bedroom door came into sight. He stopped abruptly before it, raising his hand to knock. He waited a moment. No answer. He knocked again, more insistently. Still no answer. Georg frowned.

Tentatively, his hand reached out for the doorknob, opening the door slowly. He poked his head in but found no sign of her. In fact, he found no sign of her being there at all. Her bed was perfectly made, and the few personal belongings that had been on her nightstand were gone. Georg's blood ran cold. Something was definitely wrong.

He stepped further into the room, his heart thudding furiously. He could hear the blood pumping in his ears as he peeked into the bathroom. The door was open, but there was no sign of Maria. He felt his fingers twitch at his side. His eyes landed on the wardrobe. The door was ajar.

He felt the anxiety rise. He swallowed hard before opening the door wider. What he found there sent his heart dropping through the floor. It was empty. Her clothes were gone. There was nothing but the shirt he had given her to wear back to her room that morning.

Tentatively, he reached a hand out, his fingers brushing across the material. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He balled the sleeve of the shirt in his fist before releasing it, turning as his eyes began frantically searching the room for something, _anything_ to tell him that his fears weren't true – that she hadn't, for some inexplainable reason, left him.

His eyes landed on the pad of paper on her desk. He could see something scribbled on it. He strode over to the desk, his eyes fixed on the paper. What he read made his heart feel like it was being ripped apart inside his chest.

_I'm sorry._

Georg stumbled backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed, landing on the plush mattress. His head fell into his hands. He shut his eyes and willed it to all be a dream – some awful nightmare that he was in the middle of. The way his heart felt as if it were being ripped out of his chest, proved to him that it couldn't be a dream.

He never thought he'd feel this again. His heart had been ripped from his chest once, but he never, not in a million years, believed that it could happen again. His mind began reeling with questions. Why did she leave? Did he do something? Was it because she had felt pressured the night before? Did she not feel the same way? Did seeing Elsa make her realize that she couldn't go through with it?

He rose his head again, half hoping that her belongings would have magically appeared again. They didn't. The room was as bare as it was before she had come to live under his roof, but it felt far emptier than it ever had.

He didn't understand. That morning she had seemed okay, pleased even. She had looked at him differently, he had even thought he might have seen love in her eyes. Could he have been wrong? Could he have misconstrued her fear or apathy towards him for love because it was what he wanted to see?

He let out a sigh as he felt his heart tearing itself up in his chest. He had grown up believing that each person got one love of their life. He had found that love in Agathe, and the years spent with her were some of the best years of his life. They had seven beautiful children together, and they were happy. When she died, he felt as if he were being torn up from the inside. He figured he had his one love, and the world took her away in some cruel act.

To find Maria had been a godsend. He believed he was incapable of that kind of love again because of how deeply he had loved Agathe. While it had been sudden, he knew he loved Maria more deeply than he ever knew was possible. It was the strangest thing, the way he wanted her with every fibre of his being, and the way he felt that his heart had been so entirely hers since he had met her.

Finally, he had been able to be open about his feelings. He was able to admit to himself that he was capable of love, that he wasn't completely broken after Agathe. He was able to find another great love in his life. While he didn't want to admit it to her quite yet, he had come to the conclusion that he was entirely and undeniably hers. He would have moved mountains for her. He would have gathered the stars from the sky if that's what she wanted.

Georg von Trapp, once broken over the first love of his life had been blessed with a second chance, and yet somehow, he had made a mess of it. After believing he would never love again, he had. Now she was gone, and the worst part was that he didn't know why.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so that was a lot. I hate great, big misunderstandings, but here we are. I'm sorry.**

**This chapter was confusing. We have this mysterious engagement ring, terrible gossip, things taken out of context. I suppose when all those seeds of doubt are planted in the mind, especially when it comes to matters of the heart, it can fester into something bigger than it really is. All in all, it was an awful chapter to write. I'm also not very happy with it. It's definitely not one of my better works.**

**I hope you can forgive me for this chapter, because the next couple of chapters will hopefully make up for this injustice. **

**Thank you to all of you who have read, favourited, followed, and reviewed. You are all incredibly kind, which makes me very sorry to have written this chapter for you.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Georg was sat at his desk, a glass of untouched whiskey next to his open laptop. His attention was neither on the laptop nor the whiskey, however. His attention was solely focused on the black velvet box that he held firmly in his hand. His fingers tightened ever so slightly around the small box as his mind began to run away from him.

It had been a week. A week since he had last laid eyes on Maria. A week since he had run into her bedroom only to find all her belongings were gone. A week since his heart had once again shattered within his chest, leaving behind the remnants of a broken man.

He had asked himself over and over why she left. He replayed the day in his mind so many times that he wasn't even sure if it had actually happened or if it was a figment of his imagination. He had thought that things were going well. He had thought that the two of them trusted each other. He had thought that maybe, just maybe, after the night they spent together that she was starting to fall in love with him too.

Had he been foolish in thinking so? Had he been so completely wrong in reading her feelings? Had he only seen what he wanted to see?

For the life of him, he couldn't come up with an answer to the questions that ran through his mind. The day had been so perfect. He had woken up with her in his arms, and everything seemed to fall into place. In five years, he couldn't remember a time feeling so at peace or so full of life. Whereas Georg had often woke with dread in his heart at the memories of a better time that were no longer within reach, that morning, he had only felt hope for a new day. He had only felt hope for what the future could be with the woman who was curled up against him.

It hadn't been until Max and Elsa had appeared on the terrace that Georg's heart had begun to sink. Knowing that the conversation he was about to have with Elsa was not going to be an easy one, he only had to take one look at Maria to know it would be worth it. He had followed Elsa with one last, lingering glance back to Maria. She had looked anxious, uncertain, even a little sad. Had she been thinking of leaving him then?

Had he known that would have been the last time he would see her, he never would have gone inside. The hint of pain that he saw in her eyes as he walked inside was an image that was etched into his mind, haunting his every waking moment. He was sure it would haunt his dreams as well, if he was able to find sleep.

Sleep had escaped him, as well as his appetite. He couldn't bring his mind from the never ceasing questions in his mind long enough to ease into slumber, and eating, well, he would take one look at the end of the table where Maria once sat, and his heart would shatter all over again at the vacant space. He found he couldn't take more than a few bites of food before his stomach felt sick over the loss of her presence, as well as the memories that came with it.

The day had been branded on his mind. The complete emptiness he had felt when he had walked into her room to find her gone was an emptiness that followed him everywhere. He had felt hollow, lost, defeated. There had been nothing in that moment that could fill the cracks that had begun to form in his heart.

Georg had been sure there was nothing that could leave him feeling more pained than he already was. He was proven wrong when he descended the stairs and made his way on to the terrace. When his lifeless eyes had fallen upon the children, he knew that his heart was about to break all over again.

The children had just been making their way inside for dinner after their game of tag, their eyes brightened, and faces flushed from the activity of their game. Their smiles had been brighter than the afternoon sun. It was then that Georg felt his heart tear directly from his chest. They had been so happy, so full of life as they greeted him on the terrace. When little Gretl had hugged his leg and looked up at him with bright eyes as she inquired where their governess was, Georg felt nothing more than numb. Where he had once been commended on his bravery, he felt anything but in that moment.

He had lost his voice. He struggled to find the words to tell his children that the woman they had come to adore and cherish had left them, all of them, without more than a simple _I'm sorry _scribbled on a piece of paper. When he failed to answer his children, they seemed to know something was wrong. Their expressions turned to looks of worry and uncertainty. Georg felt as if he was back to that dreadful moment five years ago when he had sat his children down to explain that they would never see their mother again.

It wasn't until Max had stood from his seat and asked Georg if everything was okay that he found his voice. Ending his silence, he choked out two pathetic words in explanation:

"_She's gone."_

Chaos had erupted. He could remember his youngest children clinging to his legs as they began to break out into tears. In their disbelief, the older children began to talk at the same time, the panic etched on their features.

"_Maybe she's taking a walk in the gardens!"_

"_Or she went off property again like she did this morning!"_

"_She wouldn't leave us, would she?"_

"_She couldn't leave without saying goodbye!"_

Only Liesl stayed silent. While Georg's eyes scanned the faces of his children, his eyes landed on hers. She fixed him with a solemn, knowing stare. It was then that Georg's heart was truly lost to him, as Liesl watched him with sorrow in her eyes. While his children had lost their governess, Liesl had known that her father had lost the ray of light that had saved him from a life of darkness.

Georg was helpless to do anything but stand there, watching as the pain began to form in the eyes of his children as they began to realize that she really was gone. Max had spoken up in a surprisingly calm voice and told the children to get washed up for dinner. Georg vaguely remembered their protests and the way Max had urged them inside. Eventually they left, most of them with fresh tears in their eyes.

As the children made their way inside, Max began a ramble that sounded distant to Georg's ears.

"_What do you mean she's gone, Georg? Did something happen? Are you sure she's actually gone? Perhaps the children are right. She might be taking a walk. She could have needed to be alone for a bit. I'm sure she'll be back before you know it. I don't think she would have just left. It doesn't seem like something Maria would do. Why don't you just get ready for dinner, and-"_

Georg couldn't listen anymore. He had turned on his heel and marched inside. His feet didn't stop moving until he reached his study. He had closed the door, locking it, before pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

He proceeded to drink for the remainder of the night, refusing to leave his study for anything. Max had knocked nearly hourly, attempting to coax Georg out of his study. Georg could only remember the vague call of Max's voice.

"_Georg, please. The children need you. Don't do this again."_

He could vaguely remember the feeling of guilt prod at his chest for locking himself away, but he had felt far too numb to register the guilt. He drank until he couldn't feel anything but the anger that began to seep under his skin. He was angry that she left. He was angry that he didn't know why she left. He was angry that she abandoned his children. But most importantly, he was angry at himself. He was angry that he had let his heart open, only to have it utterly crushed once again.

After a certain point, Georg couldn't remember much of the night she had left. He had woken the next day, his face down on his desk, and his back set on fire from the position he had passed out in. He had reached for his phone, unlocking it to find his messages open. He had sent one single message that went unanswered.

_To Maria: Why? [Sent at 12:35 a.m.]_

Her lack of an answer told Georg one thing; she didn't want to speak to him. The cracks in Georg's heart began to burst. _She doesn't want anything to do with me_, he told himself bitterly. He tried to think through the pounding in his head. What had he done? Had he said something to make her leave? Had he done something to upset her? Had the night before been too much for her? Did she truly not want him?

The questions had only made his head pound more. He ceased his thoughts of Maria, thinking of the children instead. He couldn't do this to them again. He couldn't shut them out. If Maria had left him with one thing other than a familiar ache in his heart, it was that he couldn't take his grief out on his children. They needed him.

He straightened out in his chair then, popping a couple of Aspirin in his mouth before leaving his study and making his way to the breakfast table. Eight pairs of eyes turned to look at him as he forced a smile on his face. He put on a cheery disposition. He might not be okay, but he would pretend to be for the sake of his children. He wouldn't make them lose their father again.

They had been somber. The seven of them stayed silent throughout the meal while Georg talked on almost endlessly, rambling about anything and everything that took his mind off the twinge of sadness embedded in the corners of his mind. Max had eyed him curiously, but indulged him in conversation, nonetheless.

He adopted a mask of indifference to Maria's disappearance for his children. He spent as much time as possible with them, letting them skip their studies and required reading in favour of playing games or other activities. However, they lacked energy and enthusiasm. They wore expressions of sorrow. Not once since Maria had left had he seen one of them smile.

Georg sighed at his desk. Slowly, he opened the box in his hand to reveal a sizeable diamond ring. He shook his head as he eyed the ring, the light reflecting off the jewels to create an extravagant sparkle that reminded him of her eyes. He set the open box on his desk in front of him, watching it as if it would bring her back.

He surely had been insane purchasing an engagement ring after only days of admitting his feelings to Maria. It had been impulsive, really. He had been walking down the streets of Salzburg while running a few errands when he had come across the jewelers. His feet had taken him inside without much thought. He had pondered perhaps purchasing a necklace for Maria. He had bought her flowers only the day before as a gesture of his feelings, but jewellery seemed far more intimate.

He had entirely given up on the idea of buying jewellery when he realized it would be too much too fast. He had turned to walk back out the door when he saw it. The sparkle of the ring had caught his attention, and for some reason he couldn't take his eyes off it. He had moved closer to the display before a man had approached him, asking him if he'd like to purchase the ring. Entirely hypnotized by the jewels before him, Georg had responded without hesitation. Before he knew it, the ring was being handed to him in a velvet box and he was paying the man.

He had stared at it for the better part of an hour that night wondering what in the hell had possessed him to purchase a ring. He and Maria had just confessed to having feelings for each other. They weren't even in a proper relationship. Georg had insisted on taking things slow, so why had he gone out and bought an engagement ring?

It dawned on him later that evening that even though things were new between them, he knew that he wanted more. He didn't want it the next day, nor did he want it the next month, but he knew that one day, he wanted Maria to be his wife. He was sure in the way he felt when she was near him, the comfort he found in her touch, and the way his children loved her so fiercely that he wanted her by his side for the rest of his life.

He knew that getting a second chance at love was rare, and the fact that he had found it with Maria was something he wasn't going to take for granted. He wanted a future with her, he wanted her to be the mother of his children, he wanted to have a life with her.

He had stashed the ring in a box on his dresser where he held some photos of his children and Agathe. He knew he wouldn't propose anytime soon. He wasn't so foolish to think that Maria would want to marry him at that point in time, but in his heart, he held out hope that maybe one day down the line, she would want a life with him too.

She had elicited feelings in him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. She had made him feel alive when he thought he would spend the rest of his life broken and numb over the loss he felt so acutely in his bones. Looking into her eyes was like coming home over and over again. She had opened his eyes to the world he had shut out for so long, and it was beautiful. She had given him the greatest gift of all; his family back. He had hoped that he would be able to give her a family in return.

As he sat there, his eyes scanning over the ring that sat in front of him, he realized that it had been an idiotic notion to believe that Maria might have fallen in love with him, and even more idiotic that he believed she might have wanted to marry him one day. She would have been signing up for all of his baggage. She was still young with ambitions and dreams, whereas he had already lived what he would call a full life.

He was selfish to have believed she would have wanted future with him. He had already been married, and he had seven beautiful children as a result. He had lived a wonderful life. He had travelled, he had seen the world, and he had experienced a loss more painful than anything imaginable; how could he believe that she would want to give up her life for that? No, she deserved someone younger who she could experience life with, not a man who had already lived his life.

A knock on the door forced Georg from his increasingly dark thoughts. He closed the lid of the velvet box with a snap, shoving it into the pocket of his pants before folding his hands neatly on the top of his desk.

"Come in," he called. He was surprised to see Max peek his head in the door. While the man had been nothing but helpful with the children – which was quite a surprise to Georg, given Max's child-like personality – Max hadn't spoken more that a few words to Georg since he had locked himself in his study after Maria left. Georg hadn't had much time to dwell on Max's lack of conversation. He was either with the children, or he was lost to the thoughts of Maria that threatened to consume him.

"Max, what can I do for you?" Georg asked, forcing a smile on his face. The smile he faked felt draining. Most anything he did these days felt draining. Max stepped into the room, closing the door behind him before sauntering towards one of the chairs in front of Georg's desk.

"You can cut the act, Georg," Max said, his voice firmer than Georg was accustomed to. Georg's eyebrows shot up at the way his friend addressed him.

"I'm not sure what you-."

"Stop. Just, stop," Max cut him off. Georg closed his mouth, a frown settling on his lips. He had a sneaky feeling that he wasn't going to like the direction this conversation was going in. He watched as Max inhaled deeply, his eyes set in a hard stare burning into Georg's face.

"You're killing yourself, Georg," Max stated, his voice softening. Max's hard stare became a looked of sheer concern, and was that fear Georg detected?

"Max, I'm fine," Georg said, forcing another weak smile. As the words left Georg's lips, even he could hear the lie in them. His voice sounded hollow and devoid of the conviction he needed to prove his words. Max shook his head, letting out a sigh as he looked to the floor.

"But you're not. You think you've been fooling everyone by smiling and spending time with the children, but even they can see right through you," Max said. Georg's smile faded, and for the first time since the day Maria left, he let himself deflate in front of another person. He slumped back in his chair as he felt his features darken. He let the exhaustion course through him, removing the mask he had thought was so cleverly placed on his face over the past week.

"Georg?" Max questioned when Georg didn't make a move to reply. Georg's eyes met his friends and he saw the worry etched in his features. Still, Georg didn't make a move to reply. What was he to say? Where was he to start? He wasn't sure he could express the pure torture that had been playing inside both his mind and heart over the past week.

Neither man said a word for a very long time. Georg sat with his chin resting on his hand as he stared at his bookshelf. He could feel Max's eyes raking over him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Max. He was afraid that if he turned his head and let his gaze fall on Max, that he wouldn't be able to hide the utter destruction of his heart that he was sure was reflected in his eyes.

Long moments passed as Georg kept his eyes trained on his bookshelf. His eyes skimmed over the titles as he willed his mind to focus on the words rather than the cluttering of his thoughts. He willed his mind to expel the thoughts of Maria that plagued him, but he found it was futile. She was everywhere. Hadn't it only been ten days ago when she had entered his study, an innocent question about the children's studies on her lips that he swallowed with a bruising kiss against the very bookshelf he was staring at? Funny, he thought, it seemed so long ago now.

"Georg," Max's voice sounded in Georg's ears, bringing him out of the memory he had seemed to be transfixed on.

"Hm?" was the weak reply that sounded from his throat. He made no move to turn. He couldn't turn. He felt frozen, stuck in place by the feeling of loss he hadn't dared to let himself feel in fear that it would swallow him whole.

"When was the last time you slept?" Max asked. Georg tensed. Could Max tell? Was his suffering so obvious?

"Max, I-."

"Or when was the last time you ate a meal? When was the last time you went into your room for more than a change of clothes?" Max's voice wasn't firm or reprimanding, but rather soft, echoing the concern Georg knew he would find in his friend's eyes.

"I can't, I-," Georg shut his mouth then, afraid of what would come out. Max had been right in his observations; Georg hadn't been sleeping, he rarely ate more than a few bites at mealtimes, and he avoided his room at all costs. He couldn't go back in there. He would take one glance at his bed and he was instantly taken back to when he had laid there, Maria in his arms as she drifted off to sleep, and three words rolling off his tongue in the darkness of the room. It quickly became too much.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Max asked. The question didn't come as a shock to Georg. If Elsa had been able to see through him, he had no doubts that Max, who had known Georg for years, would be able to see right through the façade. Georg turned his head then, his eyes falling on Max's who stared back with a look of genuine worry that threatened to break Georg all over again. Slowly, Georg let out a weak nod. Georg watched as Max's lips turned up into a barely perceptible smirk.

"Do you know how I knew?" Max asked. Georg didn't reply, only stared back at Max blankly. He couldn't be sure of what tipped everyone off about his feelings. It had seemed that everyone had known about them before he did. "It was the way you looked at her. I haven't seen that look in your eyes since Agathe."

Georg felt his heart sink once again. He had lost his first love because he hadn't been able to save her. The world had been cruel and unjust when it had taken his dear Agathe away from him. He had been helpless to do anything but watch as she deteriorated, and it almost killed him. He had been given a second chance, and yet, Maria had left, and he had been helpless to do anything but watch as his house that had become brighter with her spirit was once again thrust into darkness in her absence.

"She looked at you the same way too, you know," Max said. Georg's eyes widened as he looked at Max. Surely, the man was mistaken. Georg let out a dry laugh, tasting the bitterness in his mouth.

"She did not," Georg practically spat. Max must have misread what was in Maria's eyes, just as he had.

"She did, Georg. It was written all over her face whenever you walked into a room," Max replied. Georg shook his head. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his friend's mouth.

"Then why did she leave?" he asked. All the edge and pain he had tried to bury seeped through his tone. He had intended to sound firm, unaffected even, but Georg could only hear the hurt echo in his ears.

"Have you tried to talk to her?" Max asked. Georg shook his head, his fingers drumming along his thigh. He was suddenly feeling agitated by the direction of the conversation. No one had confronted him about Maria since she had left, and he wished it had stayed that way. Talking about it was like voicing his fears aloud, which only made it that much more real.

"She doesn't want to talk to me," Georg replied.

"How do you know?" Max asked. Georg felt his temper flare. Why didn't Max understand? Why did Max have to prod further into the situation? Couldn't Max just let Georg be?

"Because she left! She's gone, Max. If she wanted to be here, if she wanted to be with me, she would be here, but she's not," Georg said bitterly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. He let his head hang as the weight of his words hit him square in the chest. If she wanted to be with him, she wouldn't have left. He had obviously been terribly wrong in assuming she would want to be with him in any capacity.

"I don't believe that," Max said as he shook his head. Georg began to feel his blood boil. He didn't want to argue with Max about what should have been a simple concept. She had left, and that was all there was to it. There was no point in dragging it out further.

"Believe what you want. The fact is that she left, and we all need to move on," Georg muttered, more to himself than to Max. He had to remind himself that he needed to move on. He couldn't cling to the dark, spiraling sense of loss for years as he had with Agathe. He needed to be there for his children, he needed to be a father, and he needed to live his life out of the darkness. He had no idea how the hell he was going to get to a point where it didn't hurt to think about Maria leaving, but he knew he had to try.

"There had to be a reason for her leaving," Max said. Georg fixed Max with a menacing stare. Why did he insist on drawing out a conversation that was beneficial to absolutely no one? If anything, the conversation was only darkening Georg's thoughts. He could give several reasons why Maria might have left; she was scared of entering a relationship with him, she didn't see a future between them, she wanted a different life, she didn't have feelings for him – the list could go on.

"Max, I don't know why you insist upon-."

"Did you tell her?" Max's question cut him off. Georg's eyebrow raised.

"Tell her?" Georg questioned. Max rolled his eyes and Georg opened his mouth to tell Max to stop speculating when Max's voice once again cut him off.

"Did you tell Maria that you're in love with her?" Max asked. Georg stilled. He _had_ told her, but he didn't believe telling her while she was asleep counted, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to reveal that piece of information to Max.

"No," he muttered quietly. Max nodded, his eyes sparkling in the way they did whenever he felt he was on to something. It irritated Georg to no end.

"Why not?" Max asked. Georg gave an exasperated sigh. He wanted this conversation to be over with. He didn't want to keep talking about Maria as if there was a possibility that she had felt the same about him. The idea was far too painful.

"I couldn't simply throw a word like _love_ out there. I hadn't even properly taken her out," Georg replied.

"Even if there was a chance that she was in love with you too?" Max asked. Georg was ready to hop across the desk to throttle Max. His hands clenched into fists in his lap as he tried to calm his raging nerves.

"You're being ridiculous," Georg replied through gritted teeth. Max shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

"I know I have a reputation, but it's you, Georg, that is being ridiculous this time," Max told him. "Anyone who saw the two of you in a room together could tell that you were in love."

"You don't know what you're talking about. She couldn't have been in love with me. We had barely admitted to having feelings for each other," Georg said, his voice coming out weak. Talking about the prospect of Maria being in love with him was becoming far too painful, now that he knew the truth, now that all of his hopes had been destroyed.

"And yet, you are in love with her," Max stated. Georg let out a grunt.

"That's besides the point, Max," Georg said. Max shook his head.

"That's exactly the point. You say that she couldn't have fallen in love with you so quickly, but you are in love with her. Time doesn't mean anything when it comes to love, Georg; people fall in love at the drop of a hat all the time. What's ridiculous is that you've been given a second chance, and you're just letting it slip away," Max said, his voice firm.

"She left _me_, not the other way around," Georg replied with exasperation. His eyes flitted to the door as he contemplated removing himself from the situation entirely. He needed to not be having this conversation, for he feared that he would lose himself forever in the heartache.

"And you never thought about going after her?" Max asked. Georg stilled. The thought had crossed his mind, very briefly. The day she had left, he had wondered if there might be a chance to catch her before he lost her forever. However, he had quickly dismissed the idea. If she didn't want to see him, he wasn't going to push her. There hadn't been any point in confirming what he already knew.

"No," he replied weakly. Max let out a sigh, his eyes scanning over Georg with something akin to sadness flashing in his irises.

"Look, Georg, for five years, I've watched you slip away piece by piece. After Agathe died, I had no idea who you were. I knew that I had to let you grieve. I knew that I had to let you figure things out for yourself. Slowly, you came back to yourself, but you were never whole. You were never happy. Even though Elsa brightened you in ways, you weren't the same," Max stated, his voice soft and thoughtful as his eyes watched Georg carefully, seemingly gaging a reaction.

"I'll be honest, I didn't like the idea of Maria at first. When I found you and her all those months ago, I was furious, and when I came to your home to find her here, I was livid. I thought perhaps you had gone back to your old ways. It didn't take long for me to realize that she was the best thing to happen to you in a while. Suddenly, I was seeing glimpses of a man I once knew whom I thought had been lost forever. I will never know how she did it, but she brought you back. She brought you back to your children, she brought you back to your home, and she brought you back to the man you once were.

"I'll be damned if I make the same mistake twice. I didn't interfere after Agathe, and I watched you drown in your grief. I'll never forgive myself for that. I know there was nothing you could do then, and that fact nearly destroyed you. But, Georg, this time you _can_ do something. I've never known you to go down without a fight, so why are you now?"

Georg was speechless. Georg had always known there was more to Max than his jokes and exuberance. Max could be intelligent and unnervingly observant when he wanted to be, but Max had never been overly vocal with his observations, especially when it came to Georg. After Agathe's death, Max avoided the topic like the plague. He typically, besides that one night at the club, steered away from calling Georg out on his actions.

Now, Max was sitting in front of Georg, his hands clasped over his knee, and his eyes burning a hole in Georg's face as he gave Georg utter honesty. Everything Max had said had been nothing but truthful. He had called Georg out with painful accuracy, and Georg wasn't sure what he was more surprised about; the fact that Max was speaking up, or the fact that Max was asking something so impossible of Georg.

Georg shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his left hand gripping the armrest as he contemplated an answer to give Max. He had made a good point. Georg did have a chance to go down fighting. With Agathe, he had no option. He was going to lose Agathe whether he fought or not. With Maria, he didn't have to take it lying down. He didn't have to sit there in his study and feel sorry for himself. He had a chance to make things right. He had a chance to tell her how he felt.

Georg shook his head as the inward battle commenced. He couldn't do it. She had run away from him, and she had to have had a reason. Whatever that reason was, he knew it had to do something with him, and he had to respect her choice. She hadn't answered his text message, so what would indicate that she even wanted to speak to him? To seek her out, he knew would be disastrous

"I can't," Georg muttered softly.

"Can't or won't, Georg?" Max asked. "Have you considered that maybe she might have run away because she didn't know where you stood? You aren't exactly forward with your feelings."

"According to everyone else, it was clear as day how I felt," Georg remarked bitterly. Max let out a small laugh, causing Georg to look up, his eyes narrowing. Did Max really find the situation funny? Because Georg certainly wasn't laughing.

"You really do have a thick skull, don't you?" Max's rhetorical question came. "She's probably going through the same thing you are. She could have been terrified of what she felt, not knowing how you felt in return. When you add Elsa into the mix, it's a recipe for disaster."

"I could have handled that better," Georg murmured, suddenly finding his hands fascinating.

"You certainly could have," Max replied. "I'm sure it would have saved a lot of heartache."

Georg didn't reply. He knew what he had done to Elsa had been unforgiveable. It didn't matter if they had a label or not, he should have told her the truth a long time ago. What was worse was that he dragged Maria down with him as well. Perhaps that's why she left, he thought. Perhaps she wasn't able to look past the way he had strung Elsa along.

"You need to go after her, Georg," Max spoke after a moment. Georg sighed. He could understand Max's reasoning, and for the first time in a long time, Max made perfect sense, but could he really reach out to Maria with the knowledge that she could break his heart more than she already had? She had him in the palm of her hand, and if she were to tell him explicitly that she didn't return his feelings, well, he didn't know if he could handle it.

"I don't even know where she is," Georg sighed. It was a weak excuse, but it was all he could muster as his mind began to become conflicted.

"Doesn't she have any friends? Someone she might go to if she needed a place to stay?" Max asked. Georg sighed again, straining his mind to remember any details she had told him about her life. She had told him she had been relatively alone after her parents had died. She didn't keep contact with her uncle. She had no siblings, as far as he knew. Friend-wise, only one name came to mind.

"She has a friend in Vienna, I believe, but I don't know anything besides a name," Georg replied. He watched as Max gave a small smirk before rising from his seat.

"Move aside," Max said, sauntering around Georg's desk in a Max-like fashion. Georg looked up at his friend with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Get up, Georg. Come on, we don't have time to waste," Max said, his hand gesturing rapidly for Georg to get out of his chair. Georg narrowed his eyes, scanning Max's face for answers. All he received was Max's signature smirk that was entirely too annoying in the moment. Hesitantly, Georg rose from the seat, stepping aside to let Max sit.

"What are you doing?" Georg was almost afraid to ask. Max exited out of Georg's email, clicking on the Internet browser.

"I'm finding Maria. What's her friend's name?" Max asked. Georg groaned. Leave it to Max to go to such extremes as Internet stalking.

"Max, this isn't right," Georg replied. Max shrugged.

"Yes, well, if you have a better idea to find Maria, you let me know. Now, the girl's name?" Max asked again. Georg hesitated. Would he really be an accomplice to Max's insanity? How far was he willing to go to find Maria?

"Jane," he said softly after a moment. Max nodded as his fingers began pattering away at the keyboard. Georg stepped away from the desk, choosing to pace near the bookshelf instead. He couldn't watch what Max was doing. He assumed that whatever it was, was likely illegal. He bit his tongue to keep himself from telling Max to stop.

While he was wary about seeing Maria, a part of him knew Max was right. She had been one of the best things that had happened to him in a long time. He would always regret it if he went without letting her know how he felt. Perhaps she really didn't want to see him, but he had to give it a chance. He had to know for himself, or the uncertainty would only haunt him for years to come.

The ripping of paper a moment later caused Georg to look over at the desk. Max was ripping off the bottom half of his sales report that he had been meaning to file.

"Max, I needed that," Georg groaned. Max shrugged as he picked up a pen and began scribbling letters across the paper.

"Print out another copy," Max said absently. Georg sighed, his fingers twitching at his sides as he listened to the sound of the pen scratching across the paper. What was Max writing? And why did he write so bloody slow?

After a moment, Max turned in the chair, handing the slip of paper to Georg. Georg looked down at the messy handwriting scrawled across the paper, and immediately held it out in front of him to try and read it.

"Perhaps these would help?" Max asked, holding out Georg's reading glasses that had been laying on the desk. Georg snatched them from Max's hand.

"I wouldn't need them if your writing wasn't so atrocious," Georg grumbled as he slipped his glasses on his face.

"Sure thing, old man," he heard Max say under his breath. Georg focused on the paper, the glasses helping ever so slightly. He recognized the jumble to be an address.

"You found her address?" Georg asked, looking at Max over the paper in his hand. Max shrugged, a smirk on his face.

"I did," Max replied smugly.

"You do understand that this is probably illegal, not to mention a little creepy," Georg stated blankly. How had Max even found the girl's address? And so quickly, at that. He hastily decided that he didn't want to know the answer.

"Yes, well, it's your best bet to find Maria. Frankly, I don't know what you're still doing here," Max replied. Georg lowered the paper in his hand, fixing Max with a curious look.

"I can't just take off, Max. I have the children to think about," Georg said.

"I'll watch them, we'll be fine," Max stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. Georg raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," Georg said. Max shook his head, glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"If you leave now, you'll make it to Vienna by eight," Max said. Georg hesitated as a wave of anxiety washed over him.

"But it's almost dinner, and I-."

"Georg, for the love of all that is good, please go. The children will be fine. I'll ask your cook to make some extra dessert. The children won't even notice your absence," Max joked. When Georg still didn't make a move, Max's teasing expression grew serious. "If you don't do this, you'll always regret it."

Georg slowly nodded. He knew there was truth behind Max's words. Georg turned, his eyes fixed on the doorway. He took a deep breath. If he did this, he was subjecting himself to the possibility of inflicting more pain upon himself. If he didn't do this, he would always wonder why she had left. He would live the rest of his life wondering what had happened, why she had chosen to leave him. He would live the rest of his life being haunted by Max's words that she could be in love with him too.

With one last deep breath, he folded the piece of paper in his hand and stuffed it in his pocket, his fingers brushing the velvet of the box. He patted his pocket once before taking strides towards the door.

"Uh, Georg?" Max's voice stopped Georg in his tracks. He turned back to the desk, where Max was still sitting leisurely in his chair. "You are going to change first, aren't you?"

Georg looked down, registering the simple jeans and t-shirt that were crumpled as a result of tossing and turning all night on the small sofa in his study. He looked up at Max, giving his friend a slow nod. A sheepish smile crossed Georg's face. Lost to his thoughts, he had seemingly forgotten to change his clothes from the day before. He supposed if this were to be the last time he were to ever see Maria, given if he could find her, he at least wanted to look presentable.

He watched as a slow smile spread across Max's face.

"Good luck, old friend," Max said. Georg gave Max a weak smile.

"Could you do me a favour?" Georg asked. Max nodded and waited expectantly for an answer. "Please don't tell the children where I've gone. I don't want to get their hopes up."

"I'll tell them you got called into the office," Max replied. Georg nodded. As much as he didn't want to lie to his children, he knew that if they were aware of what he was about to do, they would think Maria was coming back with him. He didn't think he could handle watching their disappointed faces when he came back alone.

With one last grateful look, Georg turned on his heel, his feet carrying him out of his study with a confidence that he did not feel. As he walked to his room, his mind reeled with questions. Would he find her? What would he say to her? Would she speak to him? Or would she refuse to hear him out? What if he couldn't find her?

He paused on the stairs, his hand gripping the railing as he forced the questions from his mind. If he kept wondering about 'what ifs' he would never leave the house. He took a deep breath before continuing. _Everything will be fine_, he told himself. He only wished it were true. As he entered his bedroom to get changed, he knew deep in his heart that it was likely that he was about to lose the woman he loved forever.

* * *

The drive had been gruelling. Despite his best efforts, Georg's mind had been racing with all the unanswered questions that flitted about his head as he drove mindlessly to Vienna. Was he insane? He didn't even know if Maria was in Vienna. For all he knew, she could be in Salzburg, or France for that matter. She could be starting a whole new life. She was probably on her way to moving on. She was probably on her way to forgetting all about him.

A handful of times, he was tempted to turn the car around and head back to the safety of his home. At least in his home, his heart would be protected. Georg had never been a man who had been driven by his heart, except perhaps, in extreme circumstances. Agathe had been his heart, and he was happy to have put his heart on the line for her. Despite the pain he faced after her passing, he wouldn't change a thing. She had given him some of the best years of his life, and seven beautiful children on top of it all.

No, Georg was a man who typically used his head. He thought things through, analyzing the pros and cons before making a decision. He relied on logic rather than feeling, and he knew that was what got him through the Navy. He relied on knowledge rather than what his heart told him. It had gotten him through life.

Georg was a man who typically used his head, until Maria had come along. She seemed to be the exception to his resolve to keep his heart out of things. Before she had come along, he ignored every plea his heart cried out. While his decisions hadn't always been logical after Agathe had died, the decisions he made had been solely made with his head. His heart stayed out of it. He had been set on never letting his heart open again to protect himself. He had been adamant about never feeling the pain he had when he lost his other half.

But Maria had changed everything. She had turned the tables. She had made him _want_ to open his heart. She had made him want to throw logic and sense out the window and give her everything. One look at her, and he was ready to give into the pleas of his heart without hesitation.

Now, he was on his way to put his heart on the line in a way he had never imagined. If someone had told Georg von Trapp four years ago that he would be driving up to Vienna to chase after a woman who had wholly captured his heart, he would have laughed in their faces before throwing out a string of curses. Even now, the idea seemed so ridiculous, so insane that he couldn't fathom what he was doing.

It wasn't until he pulled up outside the address that he had clumsily typed into his navigation system that the gravity of what he was doing hit him square in the chest. Before, it had seemed ridiculous and unimaginable. He had nearly felt in a dream-like state as he drove. Now, looking up at the towering apartment complex, he realized _this was real_.

He was really outside the apartment building where Maria may or may not be. He was really about to go up to the apartment to tell Maria the depth of his feelings. He was really there, his heart thudding in his chest like a hammer against a nail. He was really about to lay his heart down for Maria to take or throw away.

With a slightly trembling hand, Georg turned the car off, taking the keys out of the ignition. He took a deep breath, steeling his emotions with all the energy he could muster. When he felt that he was as composed as he could be, he opened the car, stepping out onto the street.

The sun was beginning to set. A pink hue painted the sky as Vienna was being thrust into the night. As Georg began to walk up to the door of the apartment building, he felt a soft breeze tickle the skin of his neck. He let himself pause to breathe in the fresh air of the evening, hoping it would bring him the calm he so desperately desired.

His feet began moving once again. He made his way into the building, his heart rate speeding up with each step that he took. Pulling the slip of paper from the pocket of his slacks, he narrowed his eyes to try and read the apartment number. His eyes strained as he tried to determine if he was looking at a three or an eight. For a moment, he regretted not having brought his reading glasses.

Going with his gut, Georg stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the eighth floor. As the elevator made its agonizingly slow ascent, Georg felt the nerves stir in the pit of his stomach. He ran a trembling hand through his hair as he as he watched the watched the numbers increase. The elevator let out a dull ding, causing Georg's heart to stop. _There's no going back now_.

The doors eased open revealing a dim lit hallway. He took a tentative step out into the hallway, his fingers twitching restlessly at his side. He looked left, then right. The hallway was deserted. The only sound that could be heard was the booming bass of a stereo that Georg assumed was coming from somewhere from the floor above.

He vaguely heard the elevator doors shut behind him. He needed to move. There was no point in standing around, staring at the beige wall for the better part of an evening. He needed to make his way to his destination. He needed to get this over with so that he could have some peace of mind.

His feet began moving as he turned to the left. His eyes scanned the numbers on the doors, his heart fluttering each time he got closer to the number he was in search of. Finally, his eyes landed on the number that Max had scribbled on the piece of paper that he held firmly in his hand. He took a deep breath, his heart beating rapidly against his ribcage. With another sweep of his hand through his hair, Georg brought the same hand to the door, rapping his knuckles against the wood.

He waited with bated breath, his heart thundering furiously. What was likely seconds felt like hours as time seemed to stand still while he waited for the door to open. When a moment had passed and the door still hadn't opened, Georg raised his hand again, knocking with a little more force than before.

The door stayed closed, and Georg felt his heart sink in his chest. It seemed that no one was there. Perhaps he had the wrong apartment number. He lifted the scrap of paper to his eyeline once again, reading the numbers scribbled across the page. Without his reading glasses, he couldn't be entirely sure, but he felt confident that this was the apartment number that Max had written down.

Georg shook his head as he took a step away from the door. This had been his best bet to find her, and yet, he had come up empty. He had been terrified of finding her in the idea that she would confirm everything he feared most. Somehow, not finding her at the apartment tore his heart up more than he had expected. Somehow, he had let the hope that he would see her again seep into the corners of his heart, and the disappointment that followed not finding her was numbing.

He turned then, his feet moving back from where he came from. He felt foolish. He didn't even know if she was there! And yet, he had let his heart hope for the best outcome. He muttered a curse under his breath. He knew he shouldn't have come. He knew he shouldn't have left the safety of his own home He knew he shouldn't have listened to Max. All this journey had brought him was more disappointment than he felt before.

He shuffled onto the elevator, pressing the button for the main floor with more force than necessary. He stuffed the scrap of paper back into the pocket of his slacks, his fingers lingering over the soft velvet of the box he had absentmindedly put in his pocket before he had left. The feeling of velvet against the tip of his fingers only stung Georg's chest more. He took his hand out of his pocket, clenching it into a fist at his side.

He tensed at the ding of the elevator. The doors opened to the lobby, and he stepped out, the frustration of his own foolishness seething under his skin. Pushing open the door of the building, Georg was relieved when the crisp air hit his skin. It cooled him considerably but was not enough to extinguish the fire of his increasing agitation.

He stopped in front of his car as his mind reeled. What was he supposed to do now? He had no idea where she might be. Had he completely lost his chance to find her? Would he never be able to tell her what he so desperately needed to?

He let out another huff, the agitation boiling in his veins. He supposed his best course of action was to turn around and go home. It would have been the smart thing to do, the logical thing to do. However, Georg found his feet moving away from his car entirely. He began walking down the streets of Vienna, inhaling the crisp night air.

He wasn't sure where he was heading, or what in the hell he was doing. All he knew was that his mind had very nearly shut down through the despair of not being able to find Maria. He felt a tug at his heart. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to find her. Perhaps this was the way it was supposed to end for them.

He silently cursed Max. Why had he listened to Max? He had known it would be a bad idea, and yet, he had let himself believe that he could make things work, that he could somehow get her back. He shook his head. How could he have been so foolish?

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking down the street, he had only known that it had been long enough for the sun to fully set, a blanket of darkness falling over the city. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. He only walked absently in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, his feelings would leave him, and his mind would once again be at peace. He knew it was impossible.

His feet kept moving. He knew he was likely a long way from where he had left his car, but it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter in that moment except the ache in his heart. He hadn't realized how desperately he wished to see her face again until he had been stood in front of the apartment door. It was like he hadn't been breathing for the entire week of her absence. It was like he had been under water, and the prospect of seeing her face again was like the idea of coming up for air. He had been so close to feeling the air in his lungs again, and yet, now he felt like he was suffocating more than ever.

It wasn't until the flashing of a neon sign caught his eyes that Georg lifted his head. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in his surroundings for the first time since he had walked away from his car. He knew this spot. He had been here before, several months ago. His heart fell as his eyes took in the bright lights of the sign of the nightclub. As his eyes roamed over the groups of people crowding around the entrance, he was hit with a sense of déjà vu. He had been standing in this very spot across the street before Max all but dragged him inside.

He had been standing in this very spot only moments before he had met Maria. He had been standing in this spot only moments before he would unknowingly give his entire heart to a woman he hardly knew. He had been standing in this very spot, not knowing that his whole life was about to change.

He swallowed hard as his eyes scanned the building. It was here that he had first laid eyes on her. It was here that he had first tasted her lips. It was here that his icy heart had first began to melt.

He thought his heart might burst with all the pent-up emotion he began to feel. He wanted to turn away. He wanted to stop looking at the building that elicited such strong memories that threatened to undo him. He couldn't look away. His gaze was fixed on the building, his chest feeling heavy.

He was frozen in place, his eyes scanning over the crowds as the memories began to be hurled at him with incredible force. It wasn't just the memories of that night that began to sting at every inch of his body, it was everything that followed afterwards. It was the memory of blue eyes and a golden halo of hair that had captured him entirely. His eyes shut as the force of the memories struck him with a feel of nausea.

He had been lost the moment he had spilled that drink on her at this very nightclub. He had refused to let himself see that for far too long, and now, perhaps, he was paying the price. If only he had realized then what she would come to mean to him. If only he hadn't played off the deep stirring in his chest that she elicited as mere attraction. Oh, what he would give to go back to that night knowing what he knew now.

Georg shook himself from his thoughts. The strength of the memories from that night were threatening his very stability. He opened his eyes, determined to leave. He was determined to walk away and leave it all behind. He let his eyes scan the building one last time, resolving to turn back in the direction of his car and leave the memories behind.

As he turned to walk back the way he came, his eyes spotted a familiar blonde head off to the side of the building. Everything had stopped. The world had frozen over and time stood still as his eyes found her familiar figure leaning against the wall of the building, her features etched into a frown as she looked up towards the sky. Georg blinked several times as the air was robbed from his lungs. His knees threatened to buckle at the image before him. This couldn't be real. She couldn't be there. He couldn't be seeing her.

He clamped his eyes shut for several seconds, willing himself to stop seeing a ghost. He cursed his mind for conjuring up the image in his desperate state. However, when he opened his eyes again, he was convinced it wasn't a mirage of his mind. His stomach began to flip, his heart pounding with a fury unlike anything he had ever known.

He wasn't looking at a ghost, nor was his mind playing a cruel trick on him. No, looking at her now, her arms wrapped around herself as a melancholy look found its way to her eyes, Georg knew he couldn't be dreaming something like this up.

There, leaning against the brick wall of the building, was Maria.

* * *

**A/N: A bit of a cliffhanger for you. The next chapter might take me a while to get out. I'm having a minor surgery this week, so I apologize for the suspense I might leave you in. I'm going to try and get the next chapter done before surgery, but I won't make any promises.**

**Thank you for reading! All of your reviews have been very motivating in regard to this chapter, so I thank all of you who have taken the time to review. **


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I felt bad for the cliffhanger, so here's a nice, long chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think. **

**Just a warning: there is some M rated content in this chapter.**

* * *

Time was a funny thing, Maria reflected as she sat in a small café in the heart of Vienna. Time was constantly moving forward; time didn't stop or move backwards for anything. Time kept marching on no matter what was happening, and yet, in certain circumstances, time seemed to slow or fly by. While time was a constant, ticking clock, sometimes it didn't seem like it.

For example, the week after she had left the von Trapp household had been the longest week of Maria's life. After packing all her belongings and boarding a train to Vienna with her heart in her throat, Maria had hoped that time would pass quickly. She had hoped that by keeping herself busy with applying to jobs and wandering around the city, that time would fly by, and with it, the memories of her time with the von Trapp's would fade. However, she found that her hopes had been quickly shattered.

Time had marched on well enough, but as Maria had begun to notice, it moved at something akin to a snail's pace. Sitting in her small motel room applying to as many teaching jobs as she could, she had been under the impression that hours could have passed. She was wrong in that assumption. At one point, she had sworn she had applied to ten different jobs in ten minutes.

Her life seemed to have slowed considerably, when all she wanted was to be thrusted into a busy, time flying schedule that left no room for time to breath, let alone think. Being recently unemployed didn't help matters. Whereas with the von Trapps, she had been moving constantly with the flow of the children and their needs, her time now seemed unfulfilled. There was nothing but the agonizingly slow inching forward of time, and the memories that haunted her wherever she went.

She tried to keep busy. When she wasn't applying to jobs, she tried aimlessly walking the streets in an attempt to admire the beauty of a city she hadn't paid enough attention to before. As it happened, though in a completely different city, the memories still followed her everywhere.

In fact, just earlier that day, Maria had been walking past the window of a shop when a small stuffed animal caught her attention. She was instantly brought back to weeks ago when she had been walking with her seven charges and their father, and Gretl had pointed out that particular stuffed animal, squealing that she had to have it. The booming chuckle from Georg's throat had echoed in her ears as she looked into the shop, though he was nowhere to be seen. She swore she could feel the warm breath from his lips as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"_I think I know what to get for her birthday."_

As she looked into the window, Maria shivered. She knew Georg wasn't there with her, and she certainly knew that she couldn't possibly be feeling his breath against the shell of her ear, but it had felt so real. It was as if she had been transported back to that moment, and it only ripped her heart up inside her chest.

The past week had been excruciating. She willed the memories to extricate themselves from the hold on her heart, but she had been unsuccessful. Her heart constantly felt as if it were being torn in two as the memories never strayed from her mind for long.

It was the little things, really. As she would sit down for a meal, she would reflect upon how lonely it felt without the lively chatter of the children. As she went out on one of her walks, she found that she was constantly turning to count heads only to find that she was completely alone. As she would listen to music, she would remember just how beautiful the children's voices had been and how she longed to hear the sing once again.

She missed the children something terrible. They had been her whole life for months, and the emptiness inside her without their presence was a pain unlike any other. She missed the way they made her laugh. She missed the way they could chat endlessly. She missed the way the little ones would engulf her in hugs at random intervals.

As time went on, she began to miss the little things. Gretl's insistence on a bedtime story every night. Marta's quiet and subdued, yet vibrant personality. Brigitta's keen observations on nearly everything. Kurt's insatiable hunger. Louisa's need to prove she could do everything the boys did, but better. Friedrich's lively humour. The long chats she and Liesl would have when they had a moment to speak privately.

She missed them more than she ever imagined she could have. A pang hit her heart as she often remembered how she had left them without any notice. She wondered how they had felt when they had discovered that she was gone. Had they been angry? Had they felt hurt? Were they upset? Or had they gone back to a semblance of normalcy after the shock had subsided?

She truly hoped that they weren't upset. They had every right to be angry with her. Anger, she could handle. The idea that they were hurt and sad by her leaving was something that broke her heart. She hoped that they were happy. She hoped that they were able to go back to their lives without much trouble. She hoped that their futures would be full of joy and happiness, as they deserved.

It wasn't just the children she missed, though, she reflected, it would be far easier if they were all she missed. As much as she willed Georg to leave her mind, he wouldn't. He was a constant spot engraved on both her mind and heart. She wondered how he was. She wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he had been upset at all by her leaving, or if she had made his decision easier. She wondered if he was still with Elsa. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

She had, surprisingly, heard from him. One single text had been sent to her phone when she had woken up – or rather rose from a night of sleepless tossing and turning – the morning after her departure.

_Captain: Why? [Sent at 12:35 a.m.]_

She had stared at the message for the better part of ten minutes, her heart caught in her throat. It was one simple word, and yet, it elicited so many emotions from Maria. How could she explain to him why she had left? Her fingers had begun to type out a response. She had begun to tell him it was better this way. She had begun to express the confusion she felt. She had begun to tell him that she missed him terribly.

Her eyes had begun to blur as she typed. She realized her eyes had filled with tears as she had attempted to explain herself to him in a pathetic text message. She couldn't hit send. She couldn't do it. She needed time to think. She needed time to sort through everything she had been made aware of, and everything she knew to be true.

She felt cowardly for the way she had left. She felt as if he deserved an explanation. She had left with no warning, and no reasoning, and he had every right to be upset. If nothing else, she imagined he would be furious about the unprofessional way she had left her job, and the children who had come to depend on her.

At times, she regretted the way she left. At times, she felt the insurmountable guilt build in her chest as she remembered how she had not said a word to anyone, but rather left a measly two words on a page as a way of explanation.

Before she could feel too regretful, she was reminded of what she had been told that day. She was reminded of the engagement ring, of Georg's uncertain past, and the way he had held Elsa. She was reminded that she couldn't have stayed in that house. While a part of her knew she should have talked to Georg, to let him defend himself against rumours and gossip, she wasn't sure she could bear an answer from him. She wasn't sure she could bear hearing him confirm all that had been said. While the unknown hurt, she was sure that his confirmation would hurt a hell of a lot more.

And yet, despite all she had heard and witnessed, she missed him. She missed the way his face would light up when he laughed. She missed the safety of his arms. She missed the press of his lips against her skin. She missed the soothing tone of his voice. She missed the ease between them when they would talk. She missed him with a force that scared her.

He seemed to be at the forefront of her mind constantly. She would think about the conversations they had. She would think about the way he held her, kissed her, seemed to cherish her when they were together. What hurt most of all, is that she would think about the night they spent together before she had left.

She had felt almost _loved_ in those moments she had spent with Georg; the weight of him on her as he murmured against her skin how beautiful he thought she was. He had made her feel exquisite. He had brought her a pleasure unlike anything she had ever known, and it haunted her. It haunted her that she was marked by him in such an intimate way. It was like he was branded on her, and all she had left was the ghost of his touch, a whisper of his breath across her skin that she was sure she would never feel again.

Before Georg, she had scarcely entertained the idea of physical intimacy with another person. It was just something that had never crossed her mind. It had never been something she sought out. Then Georg came along, and there was just something about him that Maria could never get enough of. She had suddenly found herself thinking more and more about what it would be like to go down that road with him. Every touch, every heated kiss, every press of his body lead her to yearn for something that was beyond her comprehension.

It wasn't until she had been in his room that night, his body pressing hers into the hard wood of the door, that she understood that her body yearned for his. And so, she had spurred him on. She hadn't been as scared as she thought she would be. She had heard horror stories of course; Jane had once confessed that the first time she had laid with a man had been rather uncomfortable, but Maria truly believed Georg would take care of her. She believed he would be gentle and patient, as he had been with her time and time again.

It had felt right. He had felt right. There hadn't been much doubt in her mind, nor had there been much fear. She trusted him implicitly. It had been beyond anything she could ever put into words. He had made her feel things she never dreamed. He had been kind, patient, and loving in every touch and in every movement.

It had been more than just a night with him to her. It had been a discovery of her own body and his. She had felt that it had connected them on a level that could never be undone. She knew for the life of her that she would never be able to forget that night and what they had shared.

She often lay awake at night wondering what that night had meant to him. Had that been what he wanted all along? Had it just been a meaningless encounter? Had he already forgotten it? Because she certainly couldn't forget a moment.

The questions stopped there. She couldn't bring herself to ask if it had meant more to him than a meaningless encounter. Each time her mind considered the possibility that he felt something, her heart split in her chest. How could it have meant more if his feelings laid somewhere else?

Of course, the doubt continuously flew through her head. She couldn't be sure that he had been planning to propose to Elsa, nor could she be sure anything Heidi had told her was true. She knew her decision to leave had been rash. She knew that it had been unfair to leave without an explanation. She knew all this, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to go back. She couldn't bring herself to find a reason for everything Heidi had told her. She searched her mind for something, anything that would explain the engagement ring and Georg's lies, but she often found tears prickling at her eyes after only moments of contemplating it.

Maria was brought out of her reverie when she heard the jingle of a bell, indicating the café door had been opened. She raised her head from where she had been staring into her tea, and she found her dark haired friend walking toward the table Maria sat at. Maria let a weak smile grace her face as she stood to embrace her friend.

"Oh, Maria, it's been far too long," Jane said, her arms wrapping around Maria's torso.

"You saw me a couple weeks ago," Maria replied, a soft laugh coming from her throat as she pulled away.

"Yes, well, we lived together and now I barely hear from you," Jane said, looking at Maria with a fond smile. Her smile quickly fell as her green eyes scanned over Maria's face. "Are you all right?"

Maria stilled. Was it so obvious that something was wrong? Was it easy to see that her heart was holding itself together by a thin thread? Could Jane tell that she was suffering internally? Maria opened her mouth to answer, but Jane beat her to it.

"You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Jane pointed out. Maria winced. It was true, she hadn't been sleeping. She was lucky if she got an hour of sleep in the night. Her mind often got away from her in the late hours. If she didn't have anything to do, her mind kept coming back to Georg, and she was powerless to stop it.

"I suppose I haven't been sleeping much," Maria said carefully. Jane eyed her curiously before sitting down. Maria followed suit, sitting in her chair as her eyes fell to the cup of tea sat in front of her.

For a moment, the two sat in silence. Maria wasn't sure what to say. She had asked Jane to meet with her as a pleasant distraction. She had hoped that Jane would lift her spirits, and they could just talk, but with Jane sitting in front of her now, Maria had no idea how to start a conversation. Her inner turmoil had dampened Maria's typical chatty ways.

"Did you just get into Vienna?" Jane asked as she began to remove her coat.

"Erm, no," Maria replied quietly. She glanced up at Jane, whose eyebrows furrowed.

"When did you get here?" Jane asked. Maria steeled herself for her answer that she knew was only going to lead to more questions.

"About a week ago," Maria said, her gaze turning back to her tea. As Jane fixed her with a look of confusion, Maria slowly brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. She ordered the tea as she usually took it, and yet, there was something off about it. It came to her almost instantaneously that for weeks, Georg had been preparing her tea in the morning, and for some reason, nothing else compared.

"What about your job? Weren't you supposed to be working for that family in Salzburg for the summer? The one with the absurd number of children?" Jane asked. Maria's fingers toyed with the cup in front of her.

"Well, yes, I was, but I left," Maria said quietly. She could feel Jane's inquiring eyes on her. Maria prepared herself for the questions. She had known that this line of conversation was likely, but she had hoped she would have the energy to brush it off. She found that she didn't have any energy at all.

"Did something happen? Were they mean to you? I thought you were finally getting along with that boss of yours?" Jane asked. Maria spared a glance up at her friend whose eyes were filled with both confusion and concern. Maria took a deep breath.

"No, they weren't mean," she said, feeling her voice wavering, "they were lovely, really. I just couldn't stay any longer."

Jane's eyes narrowed, clearly trying to piece together the puzzle of Maria's vague information. Maria cursed herself. Why was this so hard? She thought she could do this. She thought she could sit down and have a nice chat over tea with her good friend and forget everything, but that didn't seem to be a possibility. She hadn't let herself feel how exhausted she was until she was sat in front of Jane, attempting to have a conversation with her.

"Then why did you leave?" Jane prodded gently. Maria shook her head. She wasn't sure how to say the words. She wasn't sure how to explain. She hadn't talked to another person about the reasons she had left, and now that the opportunity had risen, she wasn't sure she could explain without losing her dignity in the process.

"I just needed to get away," Maria replied, hoping Jane would drop the conversation. She should have known better. Jane liked to be in the know for everything, and Maria talking in circles was obviously not going to satisfy her curiosity.

"Maria, obviously there's something bothering you. What are you running away from?" Jane asked. Maria felt her hands tremble slightly. Could she explain her reasoning?

She stared into her tea, seeing her reflection staring back at her. She could vaguely make out the details of her face; the dark circles under her eyes, the deep-set frown, the misery. Most prominently, she saw the heartbreak playing clear across her features.

"I needed to get away from him," she replied quietly. The words had come out of her mouth without much thought. She kept her head down, afraid of what she might see in Jane's eyes.

"Him?" Jane asked, the confusion clear in her voice. "The Captain guy?"

Maria stilled entirely at hearing his title. Her heart began to speed up just a little. It was ridiculous that just hearing his title could elicit such a strong reaction from her. Without a word, she let out a barely perceptible nod, keeping her eyes on her tea.

"I thought you were getting along," Jane said, her face still construed in thought. Maria nodded again.

"W-we were," she replied weakly. She couldn't bring herself to say the words. She couldn't bring herself to admit to why she left. It would make it so much more real. She kept her face down at her tea, but she could feel the heat beginning to rise on her cheeks. She could feel Jane's eyes studying her closely. A moment had passed before Jane let out a gasp, causing Maria's head to snap up. She knew when she saw the light in Jane's eyes that Jane had pieced together the puzzle.

"You were getting along a little too well," Jane said, her face visibly shocked. It was not a question, but a statement punctuated by the way Maria's face turned scarlet. "I can't believe this. In the two years we roomed together you never once mentioned interest in a man."

Maria began to fidget with her hands, suddenly finding the air stifling. She wanted to say something, anything to change the topic of conversation, but Jane seemed to have other ideas.

"So, why did you leave?" Jane asked.

"It was complicated," Maria replied carefully, not sure she wanted to dive into the details. She heard Jane let out a small laugh.

"Well, he does have seven children. I mean, who the hell has seven children in this day and age? My sister has two, and she's exhausted all the time. I can't imagine seven," Jane said, getting a distant look in her eye as her face scrunched up.

"It wasn't the children," Maria said almost defensively. The idea that the children could have driven her way was absurd in her mind. "The children are amazing. Each and every one of them is kind and brilliant in their own way. I cared about them deeply."

"So, what was the problem then?" Jane asked, the confusion etching itself back into her features. Maria sighed. Could she explain everything? Was she strong enough for that? She figured she would have to now. Once Jane started on something, she wouldn't stop until the whole picture was before her.

"There was someone else," Maria muttered feebly. Jane let out a scoff.

"He had another woman?" Jane asked. Maria stilled, trying to figure out her words. How was she supposed to explain the situation?

"Yes. He told me he would break things off, but…" Maria trailed off as the memories began to hit Maria square in the chest. The image of Georg and Elsa embracing seemed to flash before her, making Maria feel nauseous. Jane leaned forward, the anticipation clear on her face.

"But?" Jane questioned. Maria fidgeted with her hands once again.

"One of the maids found an engagement ring," she replied. Jane let out another gasp.

"He was going to propose to this other woman while stringing you along? What an ass," Jane murmured. Maria shook her head. Even though her doubts are what lead her to leaving him and his seven children, she felt almost defensive of him.

"I don't know what his intentions were," Maria replied quietly. "He's a good man, he really is. I just don't know how to make sense of it."

"You didn't talk to him about it?" Jane asked. Maria shook her head, feeling both guilt and shame flood through her body.

"I was scared. I was confused. I didn't want him to tell me that he had been lying about his feelings," Maria replied quietly. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her by explaining, but her heart still felt heavy. It still felt as if there was a rope pulled tight around her lungs, squeezing every breath from her.

"Did he give you any reason to doubt him?" Jane asked. Maria stilled her trembling hands. She let out a gentle sigh.

"Not really. He was always sweet, and he said he wanted a future, but I don't know. We hadn't told anyone about us. And then I found out about the engagement ring and his murky past after his wife had died, and I just wasn't sure what to believe," she said weakly. When she said it out loud, it almost seemed ridiculous to her. Her reasons didn't really sound like reasons at all, but rather excuses to leave.

"Did you want a future?" Jane asked quietly. Maria stilled once again. She knew the answer without a doubt, but she was almost afraid to say it out loud. She was afraid to admit to it, knowing it would never happen.

"I did. I wanted to try. I wanted to see where things went. I feel foolish thinking about it now, but I thought maybe we could make things work," she replied, the sorrow clear in her face.

Moments passed as Maria watched her tea as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She felt a somber air fall over the table. She could feel Jane's eyes on her, but Maria could not bring herself to look up. She was ashamed. She was ashamed of the nature of her and Georg's relationship. She was ashamed by the way she had trusted him so easily. She was ashamed by the way she left. She was ashamed by the utter pain she felt in her chest at the thought of him.

Maria was slightly unsettled by the silence. She wanted to say something to justify her actions, but she couldn't find the words. In that moment, she felt exhausted, entirely drained. While she felt freed slightly by having told another person about the situation that she found herself in, it didn't help the true heaviness that had set over her body. She felt, well, numb. It wasn't until Jane's voice sounded that Maria lifted her weary head.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Jane asked. Maria felt her blood turn to ice. In love with him? She hadn't considered the possibility until now. Was she in love with him?

"I-I don't know," she stammered, her heart beating a mile a minute. The words began to spill from her lips before she could stop them. "There were times I thought maybe I could be, but we hadn't even been in a proper relationship. It was too fast. But the way he would look at me, sometimes I could hardly breathe. I-I've never felt that way before."

Jane watched her with a looked of compassion and empathy. She had a small smile on her face as she watched Maria carefully.

"Time isn't a judgment on love," Jane replied, her voice gentle. "Some people fall in love in a day, and some people fall in love over many years. If you love him, you should go back. You should talk to him. Otherwise, you're just going to keep torturing yourself over all the things you don't know."

Maria shook her head. How could Jane even suggest such a thing? Had she completely forgotten the part where there was another woman?

"I can't. I can't see him again. He's probably moved on anyways. He could be engaged by now," Maria replied, her heart sinking to the floor as she spoke the last sentence. I truth, she didn't know. It was wrong to assume that of him, but wasn't it a possibility? Couldn't he have entirely moved on with his life by now?

"Or he could have broken things off like he said he was going to. The choice is up to you, but what if you misread things?" Jane asked. Maria let out a dry laugh.

"It's hard to misread an engagement ring," Maria replied bitterly. Jane nodded sadly, her eyes roaming over her friend's face with concern.

"I suppose that's true," Jane replied softly. She was silent for a moment before her eyes brightened and she leaned closer across the table to Maria. "Why don't we go out tonight?"

"What?" Maria asked, blinking several times at Jane. Go out? Maria wasn't sure she was in any kind of frame of mind to go out, especially the way Jane did things.

"We could go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us," Jane said, her face brightening significantly. "Maybe we can take your mind off everything. We can go out on the town and have a good time. What do you say?"

"I don't know, Jane," Maria replied quietly. She wasn't sure she was up for a night on the town, but she did suppose it beat being trapped in her motel room with only her thoughts to haunt her.

"Come on, Maria. I won't take no for an answer," Jane said. Maria studied her friend's face for a moment. She supposed going out might not be such a bad thing. Perhaps Jane would be able to distract her from her ever persistent thoughts.

"Okay," she told her softly. Jane let out a squeal of excitement, clapping her hands together.

"Oh, we're going to have so much fun!" Jane exclaimed. Maria felt a smile form on her face. "We can stop by wherever you're staying, and you can come get ready at my place. It will be just like old times."

Maria nodded as Jane stood. Jane slid her arms into her jacket as Maria finished the last of her tea and reached into her purse do pull out a couple of bills. She placed them on the table before standing. Jane reached out, squeezing Maria's shoulder.

"We will have a great time, I promise," Jane said. Maria gave Jane a half-hearted smile. Jane spun on her heel, walking towards the door as Maria followed her. She only hoped that she would be able to put her thoughts out of her mind for one night and just enjoy the evening. She should have known that it would be too much to ask.

* * *

Maria walked out of the nightclub, her heart heavy and her nerves trembling. As the crisp night air touched her skin, she instantly felt her body cool considerably, but her anxieties never wavered. She walked further away from the club, the booming bass of the music becoming a dull thud as she found an unoccupied spot against the wall. She leaned back against the cool brick, letting her body slump with the weight of her mind.

She had tried. She had put every effort into having a good night out with Jane. She wanted to put everything in her mind aside in order to have a good night with her friend, but she couldn't. Even through the mindless chit-chat during dinner, here mind had reeled with thoughts of a certain home back in Salzburg. What were they having for dinner? Was there still lively conversation? Or had the children gone back into themselves because the first adult they had trusted in a long time had more or less betrayed them?

She had tried to focus on Jane's tales of what she had done over the summer. She had tried to listen to Jane talk about her boyfriend and her new job, but her mind kept wandering. She managed appropriate replies and the nodding of her head at the right times, but she felt subdued. She felt empty. She felt numb.

Maria was sure Jane had noticed the way she seemed to only give half-hearted replies and empty statements, but Jane didn't say a word. She acted as if nothing was wrong, and Maria was grateful. Maria didn't want to keep talking about the thoughts that haunted her or the ghosts of a better time. She didn't want to focus on it.

While things had been manageable, yet rather somber at dinner, when Jane had pulled Maria down the street to the nightclub that they had gone to only months ago, everything began to fall apart. Jane couldn't have known the memories that it would elicit as Maria had never told her about what transpired that night. Maria briefly considered mentioning something, but the words had died in her throat. She couldn't talk about it. If she started, she was afraid that the tears she had been holding back for a week would threaten to spill over.

So, she marched on. She resolved that she would go into the club with Jane and put all the memories to rest. However, when Jane had dragged her up to the bar, Maria had felt the panic rise in her chest. It had been there where Georg had spilt a drink on her. It had been there that he had given her his jacket. It had been there where she had first laid eyes on a man who had changed her universe.

She tried to keep herself steady, but in the crowded, noisy club, she had felt her knees begin to buckle under the weight of the memories the venue elicited. It had suddenly become too much. She could almost hear Georg's voice as she stood at the bar, his velvet tone speaking of his travels as she listened with attentive ears. She could almost feel his hand as it smoothed over her back after she choked on Max's martini.

She hadn't known then that he would be the man who capture her heart so entirely that everything else fell away. As she stood there, Jane chatting up a couple of old friends she had found, Maria began to feel a twist in the pit of her stomach. She felt sick. The air in the club was stifling, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Though, she reflected, she hadn't felt as if she could breathe for a week.

She had quickly informed Jane that she needed some air. Jane had offered to go with her, but Maria had only shaken her head. She needed to be alone. She needed a few moments to regain her composure. With unsteady legs, she had made her way out of the club, and felt brief relief.

Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? Why couldn't she push away the thoughts of him away long enough to enjoy an evening? Why was he a constantly pressing weight on her mind?

She couldn't give herself a solid answer. Only one response came to mind. _Perhaps Jane was right_, she thought to herself, _perhaps you fell in love with him_. The thought was enough to make Maria's knees feel as if they were buckling again. Could she be in love with him? It seemed so ridiculous. She hadn't even known she had felt anything for him until a few weeks ago.

Maria leant further back against the wall as if to steady herself. Her heart thumped furiously as her eyes found the starlit sky. As a little girl, she had always looked up to the sky when she needed to feel calm. As a little girl, she had believed her mother and father were up there looking down on her, and that had been enough to ground her in times that she felt as if everything was going wrong. When she looked up at the stars tonight, she didn't feel grounded. She only felt empty.

She brought her arms up to wrap around herself as she kept her eyes heavenward. She found herself angry. When she had been growing up, she had clung to the faith of God. Her parents had encouraged religion before their passing, and when they were gone, religion had made her feel closer to them. Now, however, she couldn't help but feel angry. She had been taught that God had a plan for everyone. Was this His will? Was the torment that raged inside her mind part of the path He had planned for her?

Maria shook her head. Perhaps it was His will. Perhaps the inner turmoil she was feeling would pave the way for her path. Perhaps her heart breaking would only show her the strength she possessed to get through anything. But in that moment, she certainly didn't feel strong enough. She felt lonely, lost, broken.

"Hello," a voice sounded that made Maria's nerves buzz anxiously. She knew that soft, velvet tone. It was the same one that she could still hear echo in her ears in the dark of the night. It was the same one she could remember filling her with a sense of joy and calm. However, now, it only filled her with dread and panic.

He couldn't possibly be there, could he? It wasn't possible. She was just imagining things. It was likely that it had just been the wind that she had misconstrued into the sound of his voice in the desperation of missing him. She was proven wrong when she let her eyes fall away from the sky, landing to her left where he stood, tall and broad shouldered.

_Georg._

Her heart felt as if it had stopped entirely while her veins felt as if they were being filled with ice. She felt her lips part as she stared at him in utter shock. This couldn't be real. Was she imagining things now too? He certainly looked real, but he looked like the shadow of the man she had seen a week ago. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face appeared to be somber and nervous. His hair looked ruffled, as if he had been raking his hand through it too often.

"I didn't expect to find you here," he said almost sheepishly. Maria could only stare back at him, still uncertain about him really being there. It was then that she noticed his starch white button up and dark slacks that she hadn't seen since he had returned from Vienna. She briefly wondered if he had returned to the disciplinary that he had once been before she had come to his home. She dearly hoped not.

Maria could only gape at him as moments passed. How was he here? Why was he here? How had he found her? Did he mean to find her? Or was he simply looking to enjoy a night out?

"What are you doing here?" she choked out, not giving much thought to the question escaping her lips. She watched as his features darkened slightly before he composed himself again, setting his lips in a neutral line. His eyes, however, remained dark as they scanned over her.

"I was about to ask you the same question," he replied. There was no edge or bitterness to his voice, but there was something sad that lay within his tone, something that made Maria's heart sink. She still couldn't fathom why he was there. She couldn't fathom that he was standing in front of her. She felt her legs turn to jelly, and she willed her lungs to inhale deeply, attempting to force the oxygen into her body.

How was she supposed to answer him? Was she supposed to come right out and tell him all the things that scared her? Was she supposed to admit to letting petty rumours and doubts drive her away? Did he even care at all?

"I-I," she began to stammer, but she quickly closed her mouth. She couldn't form any words. She couldn't think past the wonder that he was there, standing before her, when she had resolved that she may never see him again. She felt frozen. She couldn't move. She was just stuck, gaping at Georg as if he were a ghost – a possibility Maria had not entirely ruled out.

Georg didn't seem to be fairing much better. While his features were controlled, she could see the hard-set clench of his jaw and the twinge of disbelief in his eye as he stared through her with a gaze Maria was sure would light her up in flames. She noticed his hand absentmindedly patting the pocket of his slacks.

"You left," he said, and Maria was surprised at his tone. It sounded nothing like the man she had come to know, but rather like a small child. Her mind travelled back to the night he had come to her room when he had uttered those same words. "You left and you didn't say goodbye. Even to the children."

Maria felt her heart sink deeper in her chest as she heard the crack in his voice. He didn't sound angry. He sounded scared. He sounded unsure. He sounded, well, she had never heard him sound like that. She took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't keep staring at him without saying anything.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out. She knew it wasn't the right answer by the way a small flicker of anger flashed in his blue eyes. It faded quickly, but it had been unmistakable that it was there.

"Why?" he asked, his voice small. He took a small step closer to her, and Maria's breath caught in her throat. While there was still a good measure of distance between them, she couldn't help but feel petrified by his proximity. "Why did you leave?"

She looked away from him then, the heat of his gaze and the question he was asking becoming too much for her. She looked up towards the sky once again, hoping to find strength in the twinkling of the stars. The strength never came. She only felt more at a loss of what to say.

"Please don't ask me that," she replied quietly, her gaze landing on the cement at her feet. Perhaps if she didn't look at him, perhaps if she kept her gaze averted from the shadowy figure standing to her left, he would disappear. She let her eyes fall closed, willing the image of him to fade.

"No," she heard his voice say. She knew then that it was real. She knew he wouldn't just disappear. He was really there, and he apparently wanted to have this conversation now. "I need to know."

She looked up once again but kept her gaze at his throat. She wasn't sure she could keep herself together if she saw the emotions flickering in his irises. She wasn't sure if she could keep herself together at all.

"I don't know," were the words that passed through her lips in a breathy whisper. It was a far easier answer than trying to delve into the reasons that she left. She wasn't sure that she had the strength to explain it to him. She wasn't sure that she could force the words from her mouth without losing herself entirely in the process.

"Don't," he said, and Maria could see his fist clench at his side from the corner of her eye. "You've never been a good liar."

She swallowed hard. She knew she would have to explain it to him. She knew he wouldn't leave until she gave him an answer. She couldn't bring herself to answer. She couldn't hear her thoughts over the roar of her heart pumping in her ears.

"Did it," he paused. Maria watched as he swallowed, his fingers twitching at his sides. "Did it mean nothing to you?"

That made her head snap up to meet his eyes. She could see hurt there. She could see him struggling with himself, but she found that in that moment, she didn't care. Was he really asking if it meant nothing to her? She began to feel her blood boil. She hadn't ever been with a man before, and yet she had chosen to be with Georg that night. She had _wanted _to be with him because she believed he cared for her, but now he was asking if it had meant nothing to her?

"How could you ask that?" she asked, wincing at the hurt that so clearly seeped through her voice. She watched the confusion sweep across his face.

"How could I ask that?" he repeated. She watched his features darken as the frustration etched itself on his features. "Because you left! You ran away after that night, leaving nothing but two words on a piece of paper!"

Her heart sunk again. She was ashamed of the pathetic note, and she was ashamed for running away. He was obviously upset about her leaving, but she couldn't help but ask herself why. Was it because she had left him without a caretaker for his children? Or – and the possibility gave her a surge of hope she couldn't afford – had her leaving affected him too?

"Why did you run, Maria? If things were moving to fast, if I made you feel pressured in any way, why didn't you talk to me? I thought you trusted me," it was the last sentence that caused a pang to her heart as Georg's voice cracked and a broken look formed on his face. Maria began to doubt her reasons for leaving. Could she have been wrong? She let her eyes fall closed, and she saw the image of Elsa and Georg wrapped up in an embrace. The confusion grew deeper in her mind.

"It wasn't like that," she breathed out, opening her eyes but avoiding his gaze. She could feel his eyes burning a hole through her skin as he took another step toward her. She briefly saw his hand raise, as if he were going to reach out for her, but he quickly thought better of it. His hand fell to his side, his fingers twitching against his leg.

"What was it like?" he questioned. She wasn't sure what to say. She was confused beyond belief. She had let herself doubt him and believe the rumours she had heard. Over the past week, she had resolved to the fact that he would move on with his life as if nothing had ever happened. She believed that perhaps he would propose to Elsa, and his life would go on. But now he was standing before her, the pain etched onto his face, and she suddenly wasn't sure what to believe.

"Please, I need to know," he pleaded. "I'll walk away if you want me to, but I can't walk away without knowing why."

Maria inhaled deeply once again. Despite the cool night air, she felt heat prickle at her skin. She felt her heart pulse dangerously in her chest.

"I had a job to do, and I did it. The children have their father back, there wasn't much need for me," she replied gently. She knew it wasn't the truth. She knew that he knew it wasn't the truth, but rather an excuse to avoid saying what she really feared, what she was really running away from.

"They still need you, Maria. I haven't seen a single smile on their faces since you left," he said softly. Her heart broke. Had she really crushed their spirits with her leaving? Had they really not smiled since she had left? That stung far more than she believed anything else could as the guilt settled in her chest. She heard his shaky intake of breath. "They aren't the only ones."

She looked up at him, her heart filling with hope at the implications of his statement. She saw the turmoil written all over his face. It was as if he were struggling with the words to say.

"Nothing has been the same. You left, and nothing is right. The house is the same as it was before you came into it, but it's been far emptier since you left," he said, his voice shaking. She watched as he raked a hand through his hair. "It's not just the children. I need you too."

His words had knocked the breath from her lungs. He needed her? But for what? For when he got bored? She couldn't put the engagement ring out of her mind. She couldn't listen to his words without considering that there was another party involved.

"I'm sure Elsa will make things fine for you," she replied, surprised at the cool air of her voice. She instantly regretted the words that passed through her lips. She sounded broken, almost desperate. She watched as Georg's eyebrows just about retracted into his hairline at her words.

"Elsa?" he echoed, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Maria, what are you talking about?"

She took another shaky breath, feeling her nerves stand on end. She couldn't avoid the question any longer. She was going to have to admit to what she saw, and perhaps get her heart broken in the end.

"She fits your life better. You obviously care for her," she muttered weakly. Georg eyed her skeptically. He watched her as if he were watching another head emerge from her body.

"Of course, I care for her. She's been a great friend, and I'll never forget her support over the past two years," he said. Maria nodded, her heart splitting in the way she feared it would when she heard the words come from his lips. However, she had not expected the next words that left his mouth. "But, Maria, I ended things with Elsa."

Maria gaped at Georg, her eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't possibly… But what about what she had seen? How was it possible that things made less sense than they had before?

"You did?" she asked timidly. She watched as he nodded slowly.

"I told you I was going to," he told her firmly. Maria felt her heart race in a whole new way. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had she been so wrong? The guilt began to pile up in her chest at her impulsive actions.

"I-I thought…" she trailed off, her eyes leaving Georg's as she scanned the street in front of her. She didn't know what to say. He had rendered her speechless – something very few people had been able to do in Maria's case.

"What did you think?" he asked, his voice low as he took another step towards her. He was close now, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Close enough that she could smell the earthy tones of his cologne. Close enough to make her mind hazy.

"I thought you wanted to be with her," she managed to choke out.

"Why on earth would you think that?" he asked, his tone one of disbelief.

"I saw you," she said quietly, turning back towards him. She could see the confusion deepen in his features. "I was walking past the door and I-I saw you holding her, and I just thought…"

He blinked at her several times before his eyes widened in realization.

"I was saying goodbye," he breathed out, and Maria swore she could hear relief coat his tone. "She took everything surprisingly well. We were only saying goodbye."

Maria stared at him in disbelief. Had she really read everything so wrong? Had she let her doubts spiral so far out of control that she had construed something innocent and harmless into something that wasn't real?

"You… you didn't love her?" she questioned, shame rising in her body as she realized just how wrong she had been. Georg let out a dry laugh, causing her eyes to scan his face. His features turned serious as she held her gaze in a magnetic stare.

"No. I didn't love her, and I didn't want to be with her," he replied gently. She nodded slowly but could not look away from his powerful gaze. There was something she couldn't quite identify behind the blue in his eyes. She watched as he swallowed hard, a battle of emotions playing out on his face. She wondered what he was thinking. She didn't have to wonder for long before he spoke.

"How could I want to be with her," he paused. She watched as he took a shaky breath. She could faintly see the rapid pulse at the base of his throat. His eyes roamed over her face, his eyes scanning hers before a small smile quirked on his lips. Anticipation coiled in her stomach as she waited long seconds for him to finish. "When I'm in love with you?"

Every nerve in Maria's body stood on edge. Had she heard him correctly? Had he said _love_? Surely, she must have misheard him, but as she looked into his eyes that filled with fear and admiration, she thought maybe she hadn't been mistaken. She couldn't believe it. She had convinced herself that he didn't want her, let alone love her. But here he was, standing before her with his emotions written clearly across his face.

His face fell, and she realized she was just openly staring at him. But she couldn't say anything. She was too struck by the gravity of her words. She couldn't find her voice in the void of emotions that threatened to burst through her chest. _He was in love with her_. But how could he be? Question rampaged through her mind, one sticking out more prominently than the others.

"W-what about the engagement ring?" she choked out through breathless pants. Georg looked as if she had just slapped him across the face. His face scrunched up, his eyes searching hers for an answer. Once again, Maria noticed that his hand began to pat at his pocket.

"How did you know about that?" he asked. Maria could hear a slight edge of annoyance in his voice, but she knew it wasn't directed at her.

"One of the maids," she muttered, her mind reeling. He obviously hadn't wanted her to know about it as he let a curse fall from his lips. His eyes, this time, were the ones avoiding her. It only sparked more confusion in Maria. Why did he have it? Why did he so desperately not want her to know about it? "I thought you were going to propose to Elsa."

Georg sighed as his body slumped ever so slightly. He looked defeated, and for a moment, Maria wondered if he had purchased it for Elsa, perhaps before she met him. He still wouldn't meet her eye, and it only clouded Maria's head with doubt.

"It wasn't for Elsa," he said so quietly Maria wasn't sure he had actually spoken. If is wasn't for Elsa, then who was it for?

"Oh, I see," was all she could manage as a reply as her head began to spin with all the unanswered questions. Should she just come out and ask him? Should she attempt to soothe her raging doubts? She was saved from her thoughts when he spoke again, finally turning his head back towards her with a smouldering gaze Maria was sure would kill her.

"It was for you." Just like that, Maria's whole world began spinning uncontrollably. He couldn't be serious. This couldn't be real. He couldn't have bought an engagement ring for her. They had only just admitted to having feelings just over two weeks ago. He couldn't have wanted to marry her. She shook her head. It wasn't possible.

"You can't-, we can't-, we just-," she stammered, but it was no use. She felt tongue tied. She felt completely and utterly lost with the gravity of what Georg had just told her.

"I know. _I know_," he said in defensive exasperation. She could see the mixed emotions playing on his face. He transformed before her in that moment. No longer was he the stoic man who had kept his emotions relatively close to the vest. He became all nerves and self doubt, and the inner battle was written across his face and spelled out in the way he began to fidget on the spot. "I know it's fast. I know it's absurd. I know how ridiculous it sounds."

Maria was rooted to the spot. She was struck by how nervous he appeared. She had never seen Georg so unsure of himself. He raked his hand through his hair once again, visibly attempting to get a hold of himself.

It hit her square in the chest just how wrong she had been. She had up and left thinking his feelings had been misconstrued, when she was the one who had misconstrued them. She had doubted him based off of gossip. She had let her trust in him waver because she hadn't been sure of her own feels.

Everything became clear. He had never been dishonest with her. His feelings had been genuine. Everything she had seen in his eyes had truly been there, and yet, she had let herself believe otherwise. The guilt began to creep up on her. Why had she doubted him? Why hadn't she been able to trust him enough to speak to him? Looking at the broken man before her, she knew she had made a complete and utter mess of things.

Georg's eyes found hers again. His gaze was wild and unpredictable. She could see the doubt in them, the doubt she had put there.

"I love you," he said. Maria's heart fluttered at the words. "I should have told you that before. I shouldn't have left any room for you to doubt my intentions. I didn't want to scare you, or maybe I was scared myself. I haven't said those words since…"

He trailed off as he got a distant look in his eye. She knew he was thinking of Agathe then, and she felt a twinge of pain in her chest. She wanted to reach out to him. She wanted to grab his hand, to comfort him, to let him know how sorry she was for leaving. He began moving before she could raise her hand. He began to pace in front of her, his hand once again patting his pocket nervously.

"I know it's fast, but I never thought I would be able to feel this way again. I thought that because I fell in love once, that was it. I didn't believe in second chances when it came to love," he said. He paused, flashing a quick glance at her as if to make sure she was still there before continuing his frantic pacing. "You have proven to be the exception. I love you, and I think I have almost from the moment I met you."

Maria was still rooted to the spot. His words elicited fresh tears to prickle at her eyes. Most of her life, she had gone without hearing those three words from anyone. Hearing Georg say the words in front of her now was nothing short of overwhelming. She wasn't sure how to respond. She couldn't think past the echo of his voice in her head relaying those words over and over.

She watched as Georg looked back at her. His face fell, and he must have mistaken her speechlessness for judgment, because he began rambling in a way she had never heard from him before.

"I-I wasn't going to propose. I was going to wait. I wanted to take things slow with you. I didn't want to rush you into anything you weren't ready for," he paused, raking his hand through his hair once again before looking at her properly. "But I knew that you were a miracle. I knew that I couldn't take you for granted. I knew that falling in love for a second time is a blessing. So, I bought a ring because I knew that I never wanted to let you go."

Long moments stood suspended between them as they looked at each other. Maria's heart had surely beat out of her chest by now. She couldn't say anything. She could only stand before him, gaping at him. Words escaped her. Thoughts escaped her. While she had run away under the impression that he had been partial to another, Georg had been so sure about her that he bought a ring. She wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. She wanted to cry at the way she had horribly misread everything. However, she did neither of those things as she felt too frozen to move.

Georg said nothing more. He stood mere feet away from Maria, his eyes wandering across her face as if trying to read her. She watched as he swallowed hard. His chest heaved as if he had just run a long distance. Maria had never seen him so nervous, so frantic, so entirely unlike himself. She could see fear reflecting in his blue irises. At one point, Maria had thought him incapable of fear. If anything, he inflicted fear in others. But now he was stood in front of her, his heart laid out before her, and everything out in the open. She wondered when the last time he had been so vulnerable was.

Neither seemed to know what to say for a long time. The air was thick with the gravity of all that had been said. Both were afraid that if they moved, the moment would be shattered along with their hearts.

Maria knew she had to be the one to break the silence. Georg had laid his feelings out in front of her. He had said everything he needed to say. He had been more open than she believed he had in a long time. There was almost nothing left for him to say. He had put everything on the line, and now it was her turn to speak. If only she knew what to say.

She had barely been able to open her mouth to speak before he was moving. He moved slowly as though not to scare her, but he ever so slightly began to invade her space. He stopped just before their chests met. His eyes peered down at her with a smouldering gaze that had the pit of her stomach doing flips.

If she thought she had been speechless before, she was proven wrong once again. His proximity stifled any thoughts passing through her mind. The smell of his cologne, the heat radiating off him, and the warmth in his eyes all reminded Maria just how much she missed him. She missed the closeness, she missed the feel of him, and she missed the way she felt completely and utterly safe in his arms.

After a week apart, she felt her heart surge at his proximity. The breath seemed to be knocked straight out of her lungs at the heat of his gaze. In that moment, she could think no coherent thoughts. She had only known one thing; she wanted Georg desperately.

She watched as his head moved down closer to her own. Her eyes fluttered closed as his forehead pressed gently against hers. She could feel his warm breath whisper across her lips eliciting a shudder from her body. He was so close that she could practically feel his lips against hers. She wanted more than anything to close the gap. She could hear the roar of blood in her ears as she inched forward slightly, her lips brushing across his ever so gently. She braced herself for more contact but felt utterly empty when his lips fell out of reach.

"Maria, look at me," she heard his voice say as he pulled his head back. Maria obliged, her eyes fluttering open to look at him. She saw a mix of emotion reflected in those ocean blue eyes; she saw the want, she saw the adoration, but most of all, she saw the fear. She inhaled sharply, awaiting his following words.

"I can walk away. If you don't feel-."

"Don't," she breathed out against him. Georg furrowed his eyebrows. "Please don't go."

That was all it seemed to take to make Georg relax. His features softened and a small smile graced his lips as he looked at her. He brought a hand up to her cheek, holding her as delicate as he would a glass antique. With all the care in the world, he brought her face to his, his lips gently pressing against hers.

Maria let her eyes fall closed once again as she focused on the feeling of him. His thumb stroked her cheek as he poured every emotion into the tender kiss. For the first time in a week, her heart soared. The feeling of him pressed against her was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. She felt safe, she felt cared for, she felt _loved_.

Not only did she feel loved, Maria reflected as Georg's lips began moving slowly over her own; she knew in that moment that she loved him in return. She wasn't sure when it had happened or how, but she knew somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with Georg. It was clear in the way that she had been miserable over the past week without him. It was clear in the way the press of his lips made her feel as if she belonged, as if she was right where she needed to be.

She wanted to tell him. She needed to tell him. She couldn't imagine the doubts that she had put through his mind over the past week. She couldn't imagine the way he must have tortured himself believing that she had run because she felt nothing. But how did she say it? She had never uttered those three words to anyone before.

She brought a hand to his chest, pushing him back ever so gently. He gave no restraint, but he did not move far. He stayed in her space, his forehead falling against hers as their breaths mingled together in the cool night air. He covered the hand on his chest with his own, his thumb stroking her knuckles. His eyes stayed closed.

She nearly lost her thoughts as she felt his breath warm and gentle against her skin. She had to focus. She had to tell him. Gently, she brought a hand to his cheek, smoothing over his skin with a featherlight touch. She heard the small sigh that escaped him as she let her fingers graze over his jaw. Her heart thundered wildly as she focused on the words she wanted to say.

"I love you." It was nothing more than a whisper, but she knew Georg had caught every word when his eyes opened. For a moment, he only looked at her in disbelief. A grin slowly began to etch its way onto his features. His eyes sparkled as if he were holding the world in his hands. He gripped her hand in his, bringing it to his lips with agonizing slowness. Without looking away from her, he placed a gentle kiss to her hand, his lips lingering on her skin.

She was overwhelmed by the way he looked at her in that moment. He didn't need to say anything, as it was written all over is face; the desire, the adoration, the love. She felt a smile form on her own face as she looked up at him. Everything seemed to have fallen into place.

He brought his lips to her once again. Maria smiled against the softness of his lips, her hands snaking around his neck as his hands fell to her waist, pulling her more firmly against him. It wasn't long before the soft movements of their lips turned more insistent. She met him for every press of his mouth.

Every nerve in her body sprung to life as he pressed her further against the wall behind her. The cool brick contrasting the heat she felt flooding throughout her body at his every touch. He broke away almost suddenly, his chest heaving against her own as he fixed her with a look of pure desire that shot a shiver down her spine.

"I've missed you," he muttered as he moved to nuzzle her neck. She felt the scathing open-mouthed kisses he placed everywhere he could reach. Maria was grateful for the wall behind her holding her up as she was sure her knees would have given out at the pure sensations that he was eliciting from her.

It was then that she realized where they were. She felt her face flush as she glanced around the relatively empty street.

"Georg," she muttered, her voice coming out much raspier than she had anticipated. She felt him press one last lingering kiss just under her ear before she heard his voice.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked, his breath ghosting across the shell of her ear. She nodded weakly, her voice feeling entirely too unstable for words. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before stepping back to put some distance between them. His hands slowly slipped away from her waist and she watched as he attempted to regain some composure.

"I'm afraid I parked quite a ways away," he told her, a small smirk gracing his lips. Maria nodded. She wasn't sure what they were supposed to do next. Had he planned on going home that night? Or was he staying in Vienna? On a surge of courage, she found herself speaking.

"My motel is down the street," she told him, her voice quiet as she offered the implied invitation. Georg seemed to think about this. His eyebrow raised as his eyes searched hers. She waited a long moment, willing him to say something. A small smile formed on his face as he held out his hand.

"Lead the way," he said gently. She gave him a smile before placing her hand in his, letting herself revel in the warmth. He once again brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it before interlacing their fingers.

Together, they began to make their way down the sidewalk after Maria had sent a quick text to Jane that she was leaving. Neither of them said a word. Maria was unsure of what exactly to say. Everything about the night had been overwhelming, emotionally taxing almost, but in a way, it had been perfect. She almost didn't want to say anything in the fear that it would ruin the evening, or that he would somehow disappear.

As they crossed the otherwise empty street, Maria spared a glance up at Georg. He looked impossibly handsome under the dim streetlights. _He's in love with me_, she found herself thinking almost dreamily. She sighed inwardly. Could this really be happening?

His head turned towards her, a smile upon his face. She felt herself flush at the way she was practically openly ogling him, but he only squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Georg's hands couldn't seem to keep still as they walked to her motel. He released her hand to put an arm around her, his fingers smoothing over the small of her back. It ignited a fire within Maria that she was sure wouldn't die out until she tasted him once again. His hand continued to ghost everywhere and nowhere all at once; over her shoulder, down her arm, along her spine. It was all with a featherlight touch that Maria was sure would drive her to insanity.

She resolved herself not to look at him, even when she felt his burning stare piercing her skin. She was sure that if she turned her head to look at him, they would have difficulty making it back to the motel room. She attempted to focus on putting one foot in front of the other on the cement sidewalk.

It was a miracle they had made it to her motel room. With a fumbling hand, she dug through her purse to find her key card while desperately trying to ignore the way Georg's fingers stroked at her back, seemingly dipping lower with every brush of his fingers. It was with trembling fingers that she managed to open the door, before walking on feeble legs across the threshold. She didn't need to look behind her to know Georg was following. She could feel his presence, even when his hand slipped away from her entirely to close the door softly, she could feel him behind her, his stare burning into her back.

She threw her purse on one of the empty chairs before slowly turning towards him. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on him. He was looking at her as if he could devour her in that moment. She saw everything she felt reflected in his eyes. Wordlessly, he took steps towards her, encroaching on her space. She found she didn't mind at all. After a week of not seeing him, of not being able to touch him, she almost felt as if she had been deprived of air, and now that he was before her, she could breathe again.

He stopped just before her, his eyes looming into the very depths of her soul. With a gentle hand on her waist, he pulled her against him, her chest pressed against his. She could practically hear the beating of his heart in a frantic rhythm akin to her own. She could see his eyes darken as he watched her, exposing the raw need she knew was within him. But he waited. He moved no further besides the soft circles his fingers were tracing on her waist. She realized that he was waiting for her. He wanted her to move first. He wanted to be sure what she wanted. He didn't want to make any assumptions of where the night would go.

She stretched up slightly, until she felt the graze of his nose against hers. She watched his eyes fall closed as their breaths mingled together. With little hesitation, she brought her lips to his, feeling a tingle of anticipation travel down her body. He reacted immediately, his lips pressing insistently against hers with a hunger that made Maria incredibly dizzy.

Her hands came up to his chest, fisting the soft material of his shirt in her hands. He felt phenomenal. Every inch of him pressed against her was intoxicating, and all she could think was that she wanted _more_. As if sensing her thoughts, his tongue danced across her bottom lip in a silent question. Maria obliged more than willingly, opening her mouth to him and letting a shudder run down her spine when her tongue met his.

She felt lightheaded. She felt hazy. She felt on top of the world with Georg's arms around her. Absentmindedly, her fingers seemed to find the buttons of his shirt. She toyed with the first one that was fastened, rolling it between her fingers as if contemplating her next move. When she heard his groan of impatience, she pulled the button loose to reveal more of his chest. She let her fingers linger on the newly exposed skin before moving to the next button.

With agonizing slowness – Georg nipping at her bottom lip and his hands wandering down her backside contributed to her pace – she managed to undo all the buttons on his shirt. She tugged the material out of his trousers, impatiently pushing at his shoulders. She felt rather than heard his groan before he relinquished his hold on her to allow the material to slip off his arms and land on the floor.

Her hands went everywhere within reach, a desperate need boiling within her to feel the solid muscle and warm flesh of the man before her. His skin was scorching to the touch, only surging her on. She wasn't sure what had ignited such a fire within her, such a desperation to feel all of Georg. She had never given much thought to physical intimacy before she met him, and yet, now in this room, she wanted nothing more than to feel the weight of him on her. She wanted nothing more than to find the comfort of his body wrapped around hers.

Everything seemed to be on fire. She had spent a week torturing herself. She had spent a week with all the pent up emotions simmering on the surface. Now that he was there, his arms wrapped around her, she wanted to let go. She wanted to lose herself in him. She wanted to let herself release all the turmoil in the contours of his body.

She vaguely felt them moving. They stumbled in the direction of the bed. She managed to blindly step out of her shoes in the process. It was not graceful in the least, Maria reflected as her hip came in contact with a small table, but she couldn't bring herself to care, especially when his hand slipped under her blouse, his fingertips branding her skin as he traced a fiery trail across her ribs.

The back of her legs hit the edge of the bed. She felt her body fall back, and she unceremoniously brought Georg with her. The bed made a creaking sound as they landed. Maria broke away, a small giggle escaping her lips. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling down at her, his eyes full of affection and desire.

He brought his head down, placing a gentle kiss against the tip of her nose as he brought a hand up to brush her hair across her forehead. Maria smiled at the man above her. She knew then as she looked at him with his ruffled hair, a stubborn lock falling on his forehead and a gentle smile on his face, that she would forever belong to him. There could be no other. He had captured her heart entirely, and she knew she never wanted to see another day without him in it.

She brushed the lock from his forehead and let out a small giggle when it popped back where it was. She saw the smile form on his face before she scooted up on the bed. She watched as he kicked off his shoes and followed her, he eyes never leaving hers.

He climbed over her, his eyes pouring into her soul as he watched her. His hand came to the buttons on her blouse. He toyed with the top done button, watching her for any indication that he should stop. She didn't stop him, but rather brought a hand under his jaw, her fingertips brushing against the ends of his hair.

He undid each button slowly, his eyes never straying from hers. Each brush of his fingers against her bare skin caused her to sigh softly. Only when the shirt was completely unbuttoned did his eyes leave hers, roaming over her torso. His hand followed his eyes, his fingertips tracing a path down her neck, her chest, her abdomen, to just under her navel. Her breath caught in her throat when she watched his eyes flick back up to hers, a burning deep within them.

He lowered himself, his lips trailing across her jaw. She let out a contented sigh, her hands smoothing over his back as his lips made their way along her neck. His hand moved over a breast, applying light pressure to elicit a moan from her. Everything he did, every touch of his finger, every press of his lips was igniting Maria on fire. All coherent thoughts left her as her fingers dug into the muscles of his back. All she could think about was the man above her and that there were too many clothes separating them.

Slowly, she sat up, pushing him back gently. She moved to remove her blouse, but he was already there, his hands slipping beneath the material to slide the garment off. He threw the article to the ground before bringing his hands back, his warm fingers grazing over her bare arms, her shoulders, her back, until they rested on the clasp of her bra. Without a word, he unclasped it and removed it from her, throwing it in the same direction as her shirt before he laid her back, his hands exploring her skin.

He brought his lips back to hers, kissing her with everything he had. She responded in kind, one hand gripping at his hair to bring him impossibly closer. She could feel his evident arousal pressed against her, and the sensation made her feel faint. She needed more of him. She needed to feel him entirely, to know this was all real and not some cruel dream.

She wasn't sure what made her do it. She hadn't thought it through. She couldn't recall ever being so bold as her free hand slid down his chest, trailing through the soft hair and warm skin. Her hand found its way to the edge of his slacks. She let her fingers linger there aimlessly for a moment. His groan came against her as he deepened the kiss, spurring on her movements. Without much coherent thought, she snapped the button of his pants open and pulled down the zipper before slipping her hand inside his boxers.

His entire body went rigid when her hand tentatively wrapped around him. A moan escaped him as he pulled away from her lips, his eyes squeezed shut. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but it seemed that her bodily instincts took over. She gave a tentative stroke.

"Maria," he choked out. She repeated the motion and watched as his eyes snapped open. She couldn't see any blue. He looked at her with a heated, black stare that increased the desire pulling low in her body. He kissed her hard, his tongue sweeping over hers, his teeth nipping her bottom lip. As quickly as it started, he was pulling away, her hand slipping from his pants as he moved to stand.

He pulled down his remaining clothes, stepping out of them before kneeling between her legs. His hands came to the waistband of her pants, his fingers anchoring themselves inside. He looked at her, and she saw the question in his eyes. Without hesitation, she nodded, and before she knew it, the remainder of her clothes were being stripped from her body and Georg was covering her again, his lips descending on hers.

He had a hand in her hair while his other hand trailed over her hip, teasing her inner thigh. She groaned, wishing he would touch her where she needed him and relieve some of the pressure that was becoming unbearable inside of her. Instead, he rolled them over in one fluid movement so that his back was against the headboard and she was clumsily splayed on top of him.

She pulled back to look at him, only seeing the pure lust and want in his eyes. She felt herself blush under his scrutiny as she awkwardly straddled his thighs. She wasn't entirely sure what to do. In her last encounter with Georg, he had taken charge. Now, he only watched her as she tried to figure out what to do. She had been bold only moments ago, but now she felt uncharacteristically shy.

He smiled at her, leaning forward to place a languid kiss upon her lips, his hands settling at her waist. He pulled back slowly before letting his hands fall to her hips, ever so gently pulling her forward. As he shifted her body to line up with his, she understood. A gasp escaped her lips when she felt his length pressed against her. He lifted her gently, lining himself up before easing inside of her.

They both moaned at the sensation. Georg buried his face in neck, his lips and tongue mercilessly assaulting her flesh as his hips began a languid rhythm. Maria shifted her hips, meeting his every thrust. She vaguely heard the small sounds escaping her body as her eyes shut tight. She could only focus on the strong sensations flooding through her body.

Her body felt like there were sparks going off everywhere. The sensation of him inside of her while his hands guided her movements were overwhelming. Her heart thudded dangerously. The feel of him and the smell of him was enough to intoxicate her mind, leaving only the remnants of a deep primal urge that she hadn't know she had possessed.

She could feel Georg's mouth moving lower, nipping and sucking down her chest before beginning an assault on her breasts. Her hands gripped his shoulders, a liquid fire building within her so bright she thought that she might combust. His thrusts became more urgent, more insistent, and she had lost all sense of time and place. She could feel the burning low in her abdomen as she rocked her hips just as insistently, chasing her release.

It didn't take very long before she felt the chasm inside her break open, her body flying high as her release flooded through her in a blissful waves. She heard Georg's name pass through her lips. As she rode out the last of her release, she felt his body go rigid. She felt his moan against the skin of her shoulder before his body went limp.

He fell back against the headboard, bringing Maria with him. She rested against his chest, her head falling against his should as she attempted to catch her breath. She could feel his chest heaving beneath her, and she could hear his soft pants in her ear. His arms hugged her close to him, his fingers stroking tenderly at her back. She let out a contented sigh as she laid there, feeling better than she had in a long time.

She wasn't sure how long they laid like that. It wasn't until she felt Georg's lips in her hair that she feebly raised her head to look at him. He was watching her with a lazy smile on his lips. She pressed a gentle kiss against his lips, trying to convey the pure love she felt for him in that moment.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," he muttered against her lips. She pulled back to look at him.

"I think I have _some_ idea," she replied, feeling her face flush at the implications of her own words. She watched as he chuckled lightly, a crooked smile plastered on his face. Slowly, she rolled onto the bed next to him. He shifted down, pulling the sheet over them as she settled in the crook of his arm, her head laying against his chest, and her hand coming up to rest on his abdomen.

She felt blissful in that moment. She felt serene. Everything felt as if it had fallen into place as she was wrapped up in the arms of the man she loved, listening to the steady beat of his heart. She had no thoughts, her mind was blissfully empty as her eyes drifted shut. She couldn't recall being so comfortable in her life.

"Maria," she heard his voice say, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yes?" she replied. His fingers stroked softly at her arm.

"Is it possible," he said, pausing as if not entirely sure how to finish the sentence, "that I take you home tomorrow?"

She raised her head from his chest, looking up to meet his eyes. She smiled. _Home_. That was exactly what it was. She had never felt quite at home until she had come across the von Trapp household. After her parents had died, she had felt she was a guest in her uncle's house, and she had never been quite comfortable in the dorms when she was in university. At the von Trapp house, with the children and Georg, she truly did feel, for the first time in a very long time, that she was home.

"Yes," she breathed out, before pressing a kiss against his lips. When she pulled back, she watched a smile form on his face. He pressed a kiss against her forehead before she laid her head back down on his chest.

Despite how sleepy she was, she couldn't stop smiling. The day hadn't turned out at all like she had planned, starting with Georg's unforeseen presence at the nightclub, but she was glad for it. She was glad that he showed up. She was glad she had found out the truth about everything. While she knew they still had things to talk about and things they needed to clear up, it could wait until morning. She just wanted to lay in his arms and drift of to sleep with the man who had wholly captured her heart.

She was just about to fall her sleep. Her body had relaxed, and her mind had cleared. She felt herself drifting off to the sound of the beating heart beneath her head.

"Maria," his voice sounded again. She felt her smile grow at the sound of his voice.

"Hm?" she replied, not bothering to move. She waited for his reply, eager to hear what he was going to say.

"I love you," he told her gently. Maria's heart once again fluttered in her chest. He had said the words before, but each time, her body reacted the same. She wasn't sure she would ever get tired of hearing him say the words, and she hoped he would never stop.

She pressed a kiss to his chest, just over his heart before laying her head back down.

"I love you too."


	20. Chapter Twenty

Georg felt utterly content. No, that couldn't be the word – it was too weak to convey just how he felt. He was elated, delighted, exhilarated; he felt on a high from everything that had happened the previous night. As he drove in the direction of his home, one hand positioned comfortably on the steering wheel as his other was occupied by the irresistible warmth of Maria's own hand, Georg couldn't remember the last time he had felt so undeniably gratified.

His heart had just about beat right out of his chest when he caught the illusive shadow of Maria across the street the night before. She had looked ethereal as the halo-like glow of the streetlamp had captured her figure, robbing the breath from his lungs. The sight of her leaning against that brick wall was all it took for his nerves to rage a storm within his chest. For a moment, he lost sight of his uncertainty and of the hurt that stirred in his chest at her leaving until he was only left with the love and relief that washed over him at the sight of her.

But it had only lasted a moment; one blissful moment where he allowed himself to look upon her without the ache in his chest before the realization that she had run away from him flooded his veins with ice. The realization that she had chosen to leave him without explanation had nearly been enough to make him turn and walk away completely. He had been both terrified and confused at the idea of confrontation – at the idea of letting her confirm all his fears.

It was an eerie setting to confront her. It had been where they had first laid eyes on each other. Georg detested the fact that a grungy nightclub had made such an impact on his life, but ultimately, it had. That nightclub had been where he had found his heart again, and he supposed it would have been a fitting setting to lose it.

His feet had moved before he had the chance to make up his mind. His feet carried him across the street, striding with a confidence he didn't feel. It had only been when he was just about to come within earshot of her that he slowed, eventually stopping completely at the image of her before him. A week he had spent torturing himself over the thought that he'd never see her again, and suddenly she was there, looking as beautiful as ever under the starlit sky. A week he had spent silently missing her, wanting her, longing for her.

A moment had passed, and she hadn't noticed him. She was seemingly lost in her own thoughts and he would have given anything to know what was going on behind those beautiful blue eyes. Was she thinking of him? Did she miss him? Did she long for him too? Or was she simply reflecting on how glad she was to have left?

Almost desperate for her to look at him, he had made his presence known. He had been taken back by the pure disbelief he saw as she raked her eyes over him as if he had been nothing more than a ghost. He almost felt like a ghost, as her eyes seemed to look through him rather than at him. He could recall how nervous he was. He could recall the sweat building up in his palms as she stared in his direction. But most of all, he could recall the startling realization of just how in love with her he truly was striking him in the chest.

Talking to Maria on that vacant Vienna street, Georg could equate the conversation to talking to one of his children when they had done something that they knew he wouldn't approve of. She was unresponsive. The times she did respond were more frustrating than her silence. Her replies had been vague and entirely unhelpful in making him understand why she had left.

Eventually, her replies began to paint a picture – an utterly ridiculous picture. The fact that she had thought he would have gone back on his promise to speak with Elsa had hurt him deeply. What hurt him more was that she had run away with the idea that he had chosen Elsa over her, as if he ever could. Couldn't she see just how much she meant to him?

His declaration of love had felt desperate at best, but at that point, he was drowning in his own desperation to make her understand that there was no other woman for him, just her. Her silence had been unnerving. He had begun to believe that it wasn't just Elsa that made her leave, but the realization that she could never love him back.

The question about the engagement ring had been a bombshell. He cursed whichever snooping maid had planted that seed in Maria's head. He didn't want her to know about the ring. He didn't want her to know just how deep he was in because he feared that she would never feel the same.

The ring in his pocket had begun to feel unbearably heavy. For a brief moment, he had been tempted to get down on one knee right there to prove just how serious he was about her, to dispel her doubts that he would ever love another again. He held on to his composure, barely. It would have been wrong. She was already staring at him with eyes full of uncertainty and confusion, and he doubted an impromptu proposal in that moment would have made matters any better.

So, he did something he had only done a handful of times in his life. He began to ramble. It was utterly undignified, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He needed her to understand how he felt. He needed her to understand that he knew it was too fast, but he was all in regardless.

Her silence had been unbearable, and he was clinging onto a thin thread of control. There had been subtle changes to her features that had allowed him a dangerous surge of hope. She had relaxed ever so slightly, and she was no longer looking at him with uncertainty in her eyes, but rather with something akin to realization with a hint of warmth. He had begun to move then, feeling as if he might combust if he spent another moment without touching her.

He moved slowly. He didn't want to scare her, nor did he want to make her uncomfortable. He stopped just before her, giving her the option to push him away if she wished, but he desperately hoped she wouldn't. As he watched her eyes darken at the closeness, Georg very nearly sighed in relief. He tested the waters gently, dipping his head down to hers. As his forehead met hers, he was overwhelmed with the comfort he found in the contact.

She was so close, and all he wanted to do was kiss her. He wanted to feel her lips against his and revel in the relief. Her breath whispering against his skin was enough to intoxicate him. He wouldn't kiss her though, not until he was sure that she wouldn't run away again. It had taken all the strength he could muster to pull away when he had felt that first gentle graze of her lips.

Over the roaring of blood in his ears, he had barely heard her pleading with him not to leave. That had been enough for the dam inside of him to break. Hearing those words, he knew that for as long as there was breath in his lungs, there was no chance in hell that he would ever leave her. He needed her far too much.

It was then that he had kissed her, and for the first time in a week, everything had seemed right. Everything had seemed better than right, in fact; everything was suddenly perfect holding her in his arms once again.

He didn't dare press for anything more than tender caresses. It was a gift just to be able to hold her again, and he was determined not to take advantage of it, despite how much he desperately wanted to sweep her up into his arms and kiss her until she forgot her own name.

However, his resolve had been shot to hell when he heard those three words escape her beautiful lips. He hadn't expected her to say them. In fact, he would have been just as content if it took years for her to say them, so long as he was able to hold her. But there had been no mistaking them. She had said the three words he had only heard her say in his dreams. His heart had soared then, and he hadn't felt himself come back to earth since.

He had momentarily forgotten himself outside of the nightclub. He had felt himself swept up in the feeling of her lips on his and the shocking realization that he had somehow gotten her love in return, and he completely lost sense of where they were. In that moment, he hadn't wanted anything more than to just feel her and get utterly and entirely lost in her for the rest of his days.

When she had told him that her motel was only down the street, he conjured up the decency to think about the suggestion, when in fact it was a no brainer. He desperately wanted to get her alone, to taste her everywhere, to show her just how much he loved her. Even if she didn't want to necessarily take it that far, he would have been content with just holding her for a while. He would have been overjoyed just to feel her warm, soft body in his arms after their time spent apart.

Even so, he had trouble keeping his hands to himself on the walk over. In truth, he had troubles keeping his hands to himself whenever he was near Maria. There was something about her that ignited a possessive, needy urge to touch her that he hadn't felt in years. Still, he tried to dampen the arousal coursing through him. He had no expectations from her for the night before them.

Everything had changed, however, when they were alone in her motel room and she had turned back to him with darkening eyes burning with the need he felt. It was then that he considered that the past week had been as much torture for her as it was for him. She had left with the assumption that he didn't feel the same for her, while he had been left with the assumption that she was running away because she could never reciprocate his love.

Everything he needed to know was clear then. She had missed him too. She loved him too. And if he was reading the desire in her eyes right, she wanted to be as close to him as possible. That realization alone was enough to make him act, enough to make him move as his need for her begun to be unbearable.

Still, he waited just in case he was misconstruing the look in her eyes due to his desperation to be with her in every sense of the word. He hadn't, and the first press of her lips was enough for him to let go of all his preconceived worries and just act on the pure unadulterated lust and desire pumping through his veins.

She was heavenly, and dear god, he had missed her. Everything else fell away until it was just her and him and the need to be as close as possible. He had been determined to take things slow, he had been determined to make the reunion last. His plans were foiled when her dainty hand had slipped beneath his boxers and gripped him gently in an act of boldness he hadn't anticipated.

She had completely unhinged him with a single touch, and he felt his restraint vanish into thin air. He could focus on nothing else but desperate need to have her naked body pressed against his. He could vaguely remember stripping them of their clothes in an animalistic fashion. He could vaguely remember covering her body with his own. He could vaguely remember rolling them so that she straddled his legs. He could remember in vivid detail the look in her eyes that sent a surge of arousal through him, and he could never forget the mixture of relief and pure want that took over his senses. He could think of nothing but Maria when she wrapped around him and he was finally encased in the heat of her body.

It was far from the soft, languid reunion he had initially set out for, but it was perfect nonetheless; she was perfect. He couldn't have asked for anything more when she nestled into his side afterwards, her head laying against his chest, listening to the heart that beat for her. In that moment, he had felt nothing short of lucky beyond what he deserved.

Knowing that he would be able to take her home with him the next morning, Georg had fallen into a blissful sleep. The week of tossing and turning had caught up with him, allowing him to fall into a deep and peaceful slumber with the woman he loved nestled into the crook of his arm.

Waking up, Georg had briefly panicked. Had it all been a cruel dream? His panic was short lived, however, as he felt her gentle weight against him, her bare, silken leg slipped between his own. Instinctively, he had pulled her closer with the intention of never letting go. However, his situation was becoming precarious. His body had suddenly become very aware of her soft skin against his, the way her arm draped across his abdomen, and the warmth breaths against his neck that were coming from her parted lips.

He was very tempted to wake her, but he held back. He wanted to make it home relatively early. No doubt the children were wondering where he had run off to, and he was beyond excited to see their faces when he walked through the door with Maria by his side. No, he certainly didn't have time to love her the way he wanted.

Wordlessly, he had extricated himself from her embrace as gently as possible. When she didn't wake, he smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before making his way to the bathroom. With a quick shower, and a stern reprimanding to his body to stop acting like a teenager, Georg dried off, changing into the clothes he had arrived in the day before.

He tried to get his hair under some semblance of control using his fingers, but it was futile. The damp locks had stubbornly spilled across his forehead. Shrugging, he had set upon his next task – waking Maria.

He nearly didn't have the heart to wake her. She looked entirely too peaceful laying upon the bed, her hand resting on the spot where he had been next to her. He had sat on the edge of the bed, his hand finding its way into her hair to brush the soft strands as he watched her. She was beautiful no matter what she was doing or wearing, but there was something about the peace and innocence in her features as she slept that took Georg's breath away.

Slowly, Maria's eyes had opened, a smile forming on her face as she stared up at Georg lovingly. He couldn't resist then. He bent down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. He wouldn't mind waking her up like that for the rest of his life.

With a little coaxing, Maria sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest as a blush formed on her cheeks, aware that she was wearing nothing. Georg had only chuckled, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek before leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"_You don't have to hide. You're perfect."_

With that, he had planted another kiss on her lips before turning away, seemingly making himself busy on his phone to give her some privacy. He mindlessly scrolled through the number of emails he had missed, keeping his eyes averted as Maria went about picking up her clothing. If he glanced up, he was sure that they wouldn't leave the motel for hours.

When he heard the water turn on for the shower, he had let out a sigh, his hand falling to the pocket where the velvet box sat comfortably against his thigh. He had pulled the box out and flipped the lid open. He wondered why he had brought it in the first place. He knew he wasn't about to propose. If he had thought for a second that he would, the fear in Maria's widened eyes when he told her the ring was for her had quickly extinguished the idea.

She needed time. He needed time to prove to her that she would always have a home with him and his children. As he looked at the ring sitting in his palm and knew he wanted to see it on Maria's hand one day. He knew it likely wouldn't be anytime soon, but the idea alone was enough to leave him as giddy as a schoolboy.

He had snapped the box closed and shoved it into his pocket when he heard the water turn off. When Maria had emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, he was struck by an overwhelming sense of love just at the sight of her. _Yes_, he thought, _I'm going to marry her one day_.

Once she had been all packed up, he took one of her bags as they made their out of the room. He had turned back before closing the door behind him, a sense coming over him that he was forgetting something. His hand patted at his pockets. His keys, wallet, phone, and the ring were all safely secured. With a shrug, he closed the door, attributing it to leaving behind the hurt they had both experienced over the past week, and moving on to a new beginning.

Georg slowly came out of his reminiscence of the morning and back to the car. While he was enjoying this dream-like state he felt as if he was in with Maria, he knew there were still things that had to be discussed. He knew that they hadn't talked about everything they needed to. He had gotten the most important part off his chest – he was in love with her – but there were still things that had to be said about how things would work between them now. There were still unanswered questions and uncertainties that needed to be addressed.

As he looked over to the passenger seat where she sat, he believed she was thinking the same thing. The way she worried her lower lip between her teeth while her brows furrowed in thought indicated that she too was thinking about what was needed to be said.

"Maria," he said softly, bringing her from her reverie. She looked over at him, releasing her lower lip as she gave him a gentle smile. "What were you thinking about?"

She seemed to hesitate, as if afraid of voicing her concerns aloud. He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, wanting to let her know that he would listen to anything she had to say. He only hoped that she was comfortable enough to tell him what was on her mind.

"Well, I was just thinking… what happens now?" her question came timidly causing Georg to smile. She was still quite new to everything that was happening between them, and in a way, he was glad to be able to experience this new discovery with her.

He brought her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss to the back of it.

"What do you want to happen?" he asked. When he saw her look of confusion from the corner of his eye, he corrected himself. He couldn't ask her such vague questions. "Well, I suppose the first thing we should discuss is what is going to happen when we get back."

He felt her hand tense in his own. He had suspected that their return home would be a point of anxiety for her. After all, they hadn't told the children prior about their relationship. Liesl had known, but Georg was sure she hadn't passed the information on to her siblings after Maria had left. He had known Maria was nervous about telling the children before her departure, and he reckoned that her nerves about it had only heightened after her leaving. Not only would she have to explain why she left, she would also face scrutiny for their relationship.

"I'd like to tell them," he said firmly. She was quiet for a moment, her head turned to look out the window once again as she took in the green of the rolling hills they passed. He worried briefly that perhaps she wasn't ready to announce their relationship to the children. "Of course, that's only if you're comfortable with that. If you don't want to tell them-."

"No, no. I think they should know," she said quietly without turning away from the window. A silence fell over the car again and Georg wondered what she was thinking as she stared intently out at the scenery whirling past them. He didn't have to wait long before he got an answer in a broken whisper. "What if they aren't okay with it?"

His heart fell slightly. Did she not know just how much his children had come to adore her? Love her? He too had wondered what his children would think, but he wasn't concerned in the least. No matter what, he was sure their devotion to Maria would never falter; however, the change in circumstances could be a little confusing. Liesl had taken the news well, but not all his children were the same.

"It might be an adjustment," he told her, squeezing her hand a again. "It's new, and they might be a little thrown off, but at the end of the day, they adore you and they are going to be so happy to see you."

She squeezed his hand back, turning away from the window to look at him. He glanced over, offering her a smile of encouragement.

"I guess it's just a little odd. I'm their governess, and you're their father," she stated. As he saw her head dip down to look at her lap, Georg knew that she had said the words more to herself than to him. "That is, if I'm still the governess."

He had expected this line of discussion to come up. He knew how it would look if she remained under his employ. While he couldn't give less of a damn about his reputation, he had to consider how Maria might feel. It wasn't only his name that would come up in conversation in the gossip of the household staff.

He weighed his options. In truth, he didn't want her to leave. After a week of missing her presence, he desperately wanted to keep her close. He knew he was being selfish, but he wasn't quite sure what he would do if he couldn't see her everyday. Besides, he wasn't sure he could hire another governess after the impact Maria had on his children. His children had been completely enchanted by her, and he felt that nothing else could compare to the bond they had created. He feared the pranks and unruly behaviour might make a return.

"It's up to you," he said despite his desires. He wouldn't keep her on in an act of selfishness if she wanted to leave. It wouldn't be fair, no matter how much he wanted her to stay. "If you want to stay on as the children's governess, I'm entirely on board. However, if you're uncomfortable staying now, I will understand."

She seemed to think about this for a moment. For what couldn't have been more than a minute, Georg felt as if hours were passing in the unnerving silence of the car. He found himself anxious to hear what she had to say. He held out hope that she would tell him that she wanted to stay.

"People will talk," she stated uncertainly. Georg nodded stiffly. He knew they would, and he detested it. He knew some of his staff, especially the younger maids, were prone to turn a situation into something entirely different that what it was – he had learned that much from the engagement ring slip up.

"Yes, but that doesn't bother me," he said. He felt her eyes on him.

"It doesn't?" she asked. He shook his head, looking over at her.

"It doesn't, because I know, and you know, that I love you. That's not going to change just because people have decided to misconstrue our situation," he told her, turning his eyes back to the road. "But if it bothers you, I understand."

She was quiet once again, his words washing over her as she thought about what she wanted to do. Georg couldn't blame her for wanting to think it through. In truth, their relationship complicated matters significantly. However, in his own selfish desire for her to stay, his mouth opened to voice an idea that had been rolling around his head since the previous night.

"What we could do, is you could finish out the summer with us and in the meantime look for a job for September. I have connections with one of the schools in Salzburg, and I could send a recommendation in for you," he suggested. When she tensed beside him, he brought his attention to her, noticing the twinge of discomfort on her face.

He suddenly felt very foolish. He didn't even know if she wanted to stay near Salzburg. He had assumed so without so much as asking what she wanted. The thought of her wanting to take off to another country, or even another city, made his fingers flex uncomfortably on the steering wheel. He couldn't imagine her moving so far away, but he knew it wasn't his decision.

"That is, if you want to stay in Salzburg, of course," he added weakly.

"I'd like to stay," she replied quietly. He felt relief course through him. After only just getting her back, the idea of her leaving was enough to make him feel dread in the pit of his stomach.

"I can send a recommendation in when we get home," he said, a smile on his face. Once again, he felt her tense, wiping the smile from his face. "What is it?"

"Wouldn't it be… wrong?" she asked after a brief moment of hesitation. Georg let out a sigh. Once again, he knew how it would be perceived.

"Well, I'm recommending you purely based on the way you've managed to handle my unruly children this summer. If we weren't together, I would still put a recommendation in to the school if you asked me to," he told her, the sincerity coating his tone. She looked up at him, the disbelief clear in her eyes.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded.

"You've managed to do something that no one else has been able to do, including myself. A few months ago, I would have never imagined seeing my children both so well behaved and happy, and it's because of you," he said. He saw the blush begin to form on her cheeks from the corner of his eye. He smiled. He truly loved having the power to darken her cheeks in an endearing hue.

"It wasn't _just _because of me," she replied. Georg let out a chuckle. Sometimes he believed she was far too humble. He knew that if she hadn't come into their lives, things would have likely remained as they had been before. He would have still been running away to Vienna each chance he got, and the children would have been chasing out every governess that walked through the door. Somehow, he doubted that anyone had the resilience, patience, and nurturing personality that Maria possessed.

"Nonetheless, I'd like to put a recommendation in for you, but I won't do it if you aren't comfortable," he said. He watched a small smile form on her face.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," she replied quietly. He felt his heart speed up at the implication that she would stay with them until the summer was over.

"So, you'll stay on?" he asked, trying to expel the hope from his tone. It was futile; he ended up sounding like one of his children on Christmas morning. He heard her giggle causing his heart to swell in his chest.

"Yes, I'll stay on," she told him. He felt a grin spread across his face as he pulled her hand to his lips once more. He was overjoyed at the prospect of having her close. Even if there was a possible time limit on it, he just enjoyed the thought of being able to see her every day.

"But I think we should talk about how things will work," she said quietly. Georg nodded. They had to discuss how they would work in a houseful of staff and children. Before, they had been able to sneak around without any eyes falling upon them. Now that they were announcing where they stood with each other, Georg knew the children, and especially his staff, would be paying closer attention. It wasn't ideal in the slightest, but it was the reality of the way things would be between them.

The fact that she was working for him didn't make matters any easier. He knew it would be a tricky situation. Despite his initial beliefs, Maria was professional in her line of work, and he knew that she didn't want it to be seen as otherwise. He knew he would have to distance himself from her while she was performing her duties, lest he make her uncomfortable in the slightest.

"Yes, I suppose we should talk about some boundaries," he said rather absentmindedly. He almost dreaded what was to come. He had thought that expressing how he felt about her would let his feelings quiet to a dull simmer, but it had done the opposite. The fact that he knew she loved him too had only let the flames of his love for her burn brighter inside of him.

He found himself dreading the idea of them being apart, even if they were under the same roof. In a week of her absence, he didn't want to spend another moment without her by his side, but he knew the reality of it was that she needed space from him to do her job. He hated the idea, but he knew it was the way it had to be.

He waited, letting her take the lead. The most important thing to him was her comfort. He would let her decide what she wanted. He would let her dictate the space she felt she needed.

"You should spend time with the children," she stated tentatively. He nodded. He knew where she was going with this. If he spent time with his children, she would undeniably be there.

"I will behave like a perfect gentleman," he told her, hoping to dispel any worries she might have. Her skeptical gaze made him think twice. "I will!"

"Okay," she replied. She sounded entirely unconvinced, and Georg let out a scoff.

"Have I ever given you a reason to believe otherwise, darling?" he asked. He saw her flush from beside him, and he immediately regretted asking the question. Had he unknowingly been unlike a gentleman in the past?

"Well…" she trailed off. Georg felt heat prickle at his face.

"Well what?" he asked anxiously. He dearly hoped he had never made Maria uncomfortable. She hesitated, but he swore out of the corner of his eye he could see a smirk on her face.

"Do you remember when I came to ask about Kurt's science project?" she asked. Georg strained to remember the event. He couldn't remember, for the life of him, a question about Kurt's science project.

"I'm afraid I don't recall," he admitted.

"That's because I never got the question out," she replied. He nearly laughed. He remembered several times that she had come down to his study in which it ended with her backed up against a bookshelf or his desk. Then, he had the restraint to stop things before they had gotten out of hand, but he could clearly remember not many words being spoken.

"Well, I-."

"Or what about the time we went swimming in the lake, and your hand just happened to-."

"_Entirely_ accidental, I assure you," he interrupted her. And it was true, his hand _had_ accidentally grazed her backside as they had been playing a game with the children. It had truly not been intentional on his part, but whether his hand had lingered a moment longer than it should have was debateable.

"Or how about when we had that picnic with the children and-."

"All right, I concede. I was ungentlemanly in the past. I will keep my hands to myself," he said, determined to stop her before he had to relive the afternoon that he had seemingly lost his mind, practically ravaging Maria on a picnic blanket with his children just barely out of sight. As he glanced over, he caught the small smile on her face. He smirked before adding, "In front of the children."

There was that blush he so loved gracing her face. He smiled to himself in silent victory. He supposed he would never get tired of making her face flush. His victory was quickly dispelled when she released his hand in mock offense.

"Georg," she reprimanded. He let out a chuckle, his hand falling to rest on her leg in some desperate need to be constantly touching her. Perhaps keeping his hands to himself would prove to be more of a challenge than he initially thought.

"I can't help that you are entirely too irresistible for your own good," he replied. She tried to hide the crimson hue that had painted her face by looking out the window, but Georg had caught it, his heart swelling with a semblance of masculine pride.

She continued to look out the window, a silence falling over them once again. Whether she was aware of it or not, her hand had fallen on his, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on the back of his hand.

He was once again left to ponder what was going through her mind in that moment. He could feel the subtle shift in the air between them. Whereas it had been rather lighthearted before, there was a tension subtly seeping into the car.

He knew she was nervous. The tense set of her shoulders told him that much, but he wondered what she was most nervous about. Was she afraid the children were upset with her? Was she worried of what they would say when they told them? Or was she more afraid of the venomous gossip that would undoubtedly spread through the staff?

Perhaps she was worried about the change. Everything would change once they made it to the house. He knew he wouldn't be able to be with her as he wished to. She would no doubt be preoccupied by the children, and he was glad for that. He was glad his children cared for her so fiercely. He was glad that she cared for his children in return. However, he couldn't help but feel almost jealous.

The children, he was sure, wouldn't want to separate from Maria. They had missed her something terrible, and they wouldn't leave her side. He knew that once they entered the threshold of his home, finding a moment alone with Maria would be next to impossible. For a brief moment, he wondered why the hell he had made them leave Vienna that morning. They could have stayed another night, or perhaps a few days. There would be no children, no gossip, no Max to intrude the few moments he did get alone with her. It would just be him and her alone for a few blissful days.

"Georg," Maria called his name, bringing him from his thoughts. She had been looking at him, and he briefly wondered if she could see what he had been thinking written across his face. He forced his frown into a smile.

"Yes, darling?" he replied. He could sense her apprehension, and he briefly felt dread fill his veins. He hadn't imagined the shift in the air. The wary look she was giving him, and the way her fingers stilled atop his hand made his whole body tense.

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about," she stated, unsure of herself. He cocked an eyebrow. The reluctance in her tone told him that whatever she was about to say was making her uneasy.

"What is it?" he asked. He noticed her sharp intake of breath. He felt the nerves in the pit of his stomach ignite. He doubted whatever she was about to say would capture the lightheartedness that had been between them before.

"The night we met, you told me that you didn't do that sort of thing often," she said. Georg nodded stiffly as he kept his eyes firmly on the road. He had a feeling of where this conversation was going, and he wasn't sure he had it in him to explain himself eloquently. "Is that true?"

The question hadn't exactly caught him off guard. He had briefly wondered that if one of the maids had discussed the ring with Maria, then what was to stop them from relaying the mistakes of his past that had no doubt been circling through his staff for years? He knew he had built up a reputation within his household after Agathe's passing. The long days of never being home and the excessive drinking at the time had made sure of that. Luckily, his children had never been privy to the gossip, and he had only hoped that it would have been the same for Maria.

Had it been a contributing factor as to why she had left? He wondered how long she had that question poised on the tip of her tongue. He wondered when she had come to doubt him on that bit of information. She wouldn't be entirely wrong in her doubts, and yet, Georg had hoped to avoid this topic of conversation. He regretted the ways in which he had acted after Agathe's passing; he hated himself for the things he had done.

He had done abominable things, both before Agathe and after. He had done things he wished he could take back. He had done things that now made him feel sick to his stomach when he thought about them, and he feared that revealing such information to Maria could make her feel the same.

She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. He glanced over to her and saw a frown beginning to form with each passing second that he didn't open his mouth to answer the question. He let out a sigh.

"Yes and no," he replied quietly. Her brows furrowed at his pathetic answer, her eyes burning through him with the various questions he knew were brewing beneath the surface. He knew he had to explain himself. "I loved Agathe very much, as you know."

He watched as she nodded slowly in understanding, but the confusion never faltered from her features. He steeled himself for the explanation he was going to give, knowing there could be a chance that Maria would think differently of him. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his strength to speak.

"When she died, I wasn't myself. I don't know who I was, really. I was lost. After her funeral, I went to Rome for about six months. In all honesty, I don't remember much of that trip. I drank copiously and ignored every call from home. I know it was wrong, but I wanted to forget. One morning, I woke to find someone else in my bed. I don't remember how it happened or what exactly had taken place, but I could put the pieces together. I felt terrible. I headed home that afternoon, full of guilt and anger at myself."

Georg paused, looking over to Maria who was no longer looking at him, but staring out at the road that stretched out before them. Her hand had left his, instead resting in her lap as she toyed absentmindedly with her fingers. He couldn't read her face. Her features remained neutral, but he sensed her apprehension. He took a shaky breath before continuing.

"I went home. I thought maybe the distance had helped. I thought maybe I could come home, and things would go back to normal. They didn't. Her absence was more present than ever. I started going to Vienna. I told myself there was work to be done, but mostly it was a means to escape. I told myself what had happened in Rome would never happen again, but it did. I would drink and find a woman in a bar and regret everything the next morning, vowing to never let it happen again.

"I hated myself for it. I hated what I was becoming, but it didn't stop me. Max knew what I was doing, and for a while he stayed quiet. He let me do whatever I thought was necessary to get over my grief. Eventually, he confronted me and told me I needed to stop the drinking. At first, I didn't want to listen, but Max made some compelling arguments. What kind of example was I setting for my boys? The drinking dwindled, and then Max introduced me to Elsa, no doubt hoping she would make me settle down."

He spared another glance at Maria, the only indication that she had been listening being her furrowed brows as she tried to put the pieces together.

"When I told you that I hadn't done anything like that in a while, I hadn't been lying. I hadn't done anything like that in two years, but I hadn't been entirely honest that night," he said. Maria nodded, but she remained unreadable. He wondered what she was thinking. Did his admission change everything? Would she only see him as a merciless cad? Would she begin to doubt his feelings again?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'm not proud of what I did and how I acted, and I didn't want you to be acquainted with that part of my past, but was selfish of me not to be entirely honest with you," he said, hoping for some sort of reaction. He didn't get one. She stayed unnervingly silent. "Do you think less of me?"

Finally, she turned her head to look at him. He could see the twinge of confusion behind her irises, but what he didn't find was the hurt and disgust he had expected to find. Slowly, she shook her head, her hand taking his and interlacing their fingers once again. He let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"You're not that same man today. Everybody has a past, and yours doesn't make me love you any less. I just wanted to know," she stated simply. He was struck by the earnest tone in her voice.

"I love you," he replied. It was those three words that he felt so acutely in his bones in that particular moment. He had felt the need to shelter her from his past. He felt that her lessened experience might make her disgusted with the things he had done, but he had once again been proven entirely wrong by her. She never ceased to amaze him with the wisdom and empathy she possessed that was far beyond her years.

She squeezed his hand, giving him a look of devotion that made him consider pulling the car over to kiss her senseless to show her what her words truly meant to him. He settled for bringing her hand to his lips once again, hoping to convey all that he felt.

He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. In truth, he hadn't considered his past dealings much while he had been with Maria. He had really only focused on her and the way she made him feel like a new man. His past hadn't once come to the forefront of his mind as something that he felt the need to speak with her about. Only now that he had told her things he had never been open with to anyone besides Max did he realize he had been holding those memories back. Now that he had told her about the mistakes he had made, he had felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He came to recall that he hadn't been open with anyone like that since Agathe. Even Max only knew the basics of the grief induced haze that had taken over Georg's life for a time. In truth, Georg had avoided the topic with Max, knowing Max would be disapproving. They had talked vaguely of the mistakes Georg had made, but Georg had never openly admitted anything to Max.

Being able to be so open with Maria was something that made his heart swell in his chest. He could feel the wounds of his past begin to heal. He felt the scars of his heart begin to fade, and he finally began to feel as if he could start anew, that he wasn't repressed by his mistakes and his grief. It was a good feeling, a blissful feeling that Georg hoped he would never go a day without.

The silence that followed was companionable. It was a comfortable sort of silence between two people so at peace with each other that no words had to be spoken. Georg was just happy to sit there with Maria beside him. He didn't need to say anything else. He felt comfortable with where they were and what they had spoken about.

Maria seemed comfortable enough. She looked out the window, but the tension in her shoulders had released. She looked far more relaxed now, and he couldn't be happier about that fact. He never wanted her to be uneasy with him.

As they got closer to home, Georg began to feel his heart race. He could imagine the children's faces clearly as he brought Maria into the house. He could picture the excitement, the joy, the relief. Whether Maria believed it or not, his children loved her fiercely, and her absence had been a cloud that had descended upon the household.

"I have an idea," he said after long moments. She turned to face him.

"What is it?" she asked. He smiled at her before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Why don't we surprise the children?" he suggested. Maria eyed him carefully.

"Won't it already be a surprise?" she questioned. Georg nodded.

"Well, yes. But the children will be sitting down for lunch by the time we get there. I was thinking that if you go to one of the sitting rooms, I can collect the children and bring them to see you after they eat," he replied. Maria smiled softly.

"I'd like that," she told him. "I can't wait to see them all again."

"I'm certain they feel the same. We all missed you," he said.

"I missed all of you too. Even Max," she said with a small giggle. Georg smiled at the mention of his friend's name. He felt he owed quite a bit to Max, for if it hadn't been for Max, Georg may have never left the sanctuary of his study the night before.

"You know, Max is the one who told me to come find you," he told her.

"Really?" she asked, her brows furrowed. Georg nodded with a chuckle.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to look for you. I did. I thought you had left because you didn't feel the same way about me, and I felt that I had to respect your decision. Though now that I think about it, I think I was more fearful of finding you and confirming that you really didn't feel the same way about me," he told her, his smile falling from his face. Maria squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry that I left like that," she told him quietly.

"I understand why," he said, "I just wished you had talked to me before you decided to leave."

"It was wrong of me to doubt you. Please forgive me," she said. Her eyes were so earnest and remorseful in that moment that Georg felt his heart beat twice as fast. He knew there was nothing to forgive. The way she had left hurt him, yes, but he had been just as much to blame.

"Only if you can forgive me for ever giving you a reason to believe that I could ever want to be with anyone else," he replied. Maria smiled, giving him a small nod of agreement.

"I didn't think Max liked me," she said after a moment.

"You didn't?" he asked blankly. As far as he knew, Max had been nothing but kind to Maria. Max had expressed many times, in front of Maria and without Maria present, that he thought she was a lovely girl.

"Well, he was kind, and very sweet, but I thought because he was such good friends with Elsa that he may not like me for, erm, getting in the way," she replied.

"He might not have always been a fan of the idea, but he truly does think highly of you. He knew I was in love with you before I did," he said, a fond smile on his face. Max truly did know him better than most people. "He asked me the night of the dinner party if I was in love with you."

"Were you?" she asked tentatively. He could see the spark of curiosity in her eyes when he looked over at her. He swallowed, feeling a surge of emotion flow through him. He could pinpoint the exact moment he knew he was in love with her, even if he hadn't quite been ready to admit it to himself.

He nodded slowly, his heart racing as he braced himself for his next words, having never said them aloud before.

"That night, before the dinner party, you were singing with the children, and I had walked past the door. I remember stopping to listen. I've always adored the children's voices, but yours happened to stand out. I remember not being able to take my eyes off you," he told her, feeling her hand squeeze his as she listened attentively. "It was then that I think I realized I was in love with you, though I didn't want to admit it."

He glanced over to see her eyes sparkling back at him. He let a smile grace his face.

"I think I started to love you that day in the gazebo," she said quietly. Georg could recall the day vividly. It had been the first time he had been so open with someone in so long, recounting the horrible events that occurred after his youngest's birth. While he had initially believed his vulnerability would have scared Maria off, he had been wrong. It warmed his heart considerably to know she had begun to love the broken pieces of him that day.

He was overwhelmed by emotion, and unlike other times, he wasn't overcome with grief, or loss, or anger at the world. He was overcome with peace, with happiness, with hope for what the future held. Holding her hand, Georg knew that he was finally on a path of the worthy man that he had wanted to once again become after the passing of his wife, and he made a silent vow to himself in that car that he would never lose sight of the precious second chance he was being given.

It was almost to his disappointment that he turned onto his street, almost. He was overjoyed to see his children, of course, but he had almost wanted the drive to be longer. He almost wanted to have a little more time alone with Maria. A lot had been discussed between them. A lot had been cleared up, and a lot had been revealed. After being so entirely open with her on the drive, it felt oddly impersonal to walk into the house where he was unsure when he would have another moment alone with her.

As he parked, he released Maria's hand, taking the keys out of the ignition. She gave him a sweet smile before getting out of the car, her eyes filled with an uncontained excitement that he knew was solely for his children. He couldn't help but smile at her eagerness. He followed suit, extracting himself from the car.

As Maria went to pass him into the house, Georg caught her hand once again, pulling her gently back to him. Her brows furrowed in confusion as his arms encircled her waist.

"I just want a minute with you," he said softly. Her hands came to rest on his chest. "Once we enter the house, I won't even be able to get close to you for the rest of the day."

She smiled up at him, her smile so dazzling that Georg felt breathless. Slowly, he lowered his head, capturing her lips with his in a slow, intricate dance that he hoped would satiate his need for her for the afternoon. He should have known it wouldn't be enough. As her lips met his, he could only find himself wanting her all over again. Everything they had talked about, everything that had been said had charged the air between them, leaving behind sparks of need within him.

He parted quickly, reluctantly removing his lips from hers before he felt as if his desire for her would become too much. He took a shaky breath, willing himself to find his control. He opened his eyes to find her staring up at him with a look of pure adoration. He couldn't fight off the smile that formed on his lips, neither did he want to.

Wordlessly, Georg took a step back and gestured to the house. Together, they made their way to the front door, his hand poised on the small of her back. They entered silently, not wanting to make anyone aware of their return. They could hear the distant, subdued chatter of the children and Max coming from the dining room.

He pulled Maria into one of the sitting rooms. As they stood in the center of the room, Georg smiled down at her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly. He wasn't just asking if she was ready to see the children; he knew the answer without asking the question. He was also asking if she was ready to announce their relationship to the children, which in a way would be cementing the feelings between them as well as making their relationship that much more real.

"Yes," she whispered back. He smiled once again, placing a simple kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he told her. She nodded, a nervous smile on her lips. With slight hesitation, he turned away, walking out the doors of the sitting room. He only turned back when he had to close the doors, shooting one last encouraging smile in Maria's direction.

He walked off then, making his way to the dining room. He couldn't help himself from grinning foolishly. He felt completely giddy as the sounds of his children became louder. He would finally be able to tell them the news that had been burning on the tip of his tongue. He would finally be able to express what he felt for Maria. No more hiding, no more secrets, and no more doubts.

He appeared in the doorway of the dining hall, his silence making his presence unknown. For a moment, he watched as his children ate. Liesl and Fredrich, along with Max, tried to make some sort of conversation to engage the younger children, but they seemed entirely disinterested. They were just as he left them – subdued and subtly grieving a loss.

He watched quietly. He knew they had been somewhat miserable after Maria had left. After all, she had become the first adult they had grown to trust after their mother had passed. She had been the first person to be open with them, and she had treated them as the children they had never quite gotten to be. A subtle smile played on his lips. Soon, he would be able to take them to Maria. Soon, he would be able to see the smiling faces he missed so dearly. Without further hesitation, Georg stepped further into the room.

"Hello," he announced his presence, the joy in his tone hard to contain. Eight pairs of bewildered eyes turned towards him. The children eyed him skeptically. Georg knew that while he had been forcing a cheerful face on for them for the past week, not even Gretl had bought it. He had been much like them in the way that he had been much more subdued, as if a dark cloud had hung over him ever since Maria's departure. He had no doubt that they were wary of the way he smiled so brightly now.

Georg's eyes landed on Max, who had a knowing smile on his face. The sparkle in Max's eyes was clear. He looked utterly satisfied with himself, knowing the reason for Georg's uncontained joy. Georg could only give Max a grateful nod in acknowledgement, knowing he would have seek Max out later to give him a proper thanks.

Georg heard his children mutter a greeting once they got over the initial shock that he was standing there. He took in their downcast eyes and solemn faces. His heart would have broken for them if he didn't know that those solemn faces would be turned into smiles in moments.

"How was your trip, father?" Liesl asked. Her tone was much less lively than he was used to, and it struck his heart in a funny way. As much as Liesl had taken on a leadership role with her siblings from a young age, he had been able to tell by the look in her eyes that Maria's leaving had affected her differently than the rest of his children. She hadn't just lost a governess, but she had lost a friend and perhaps her closest confidant.

"It went very well, thank you Liesl," he said, feeling his grin spread across his face. He found himself very anxious to bring them to Maria. In fact, he found the words on the tip of his tongue, hoping that the news would wipe away their frowns, but he held off. Their faces when they saw her would be more than worth it. "When you're finished eating, I have something to show you."

The children shared wary glances between each other, likely put off by their father's good mood and the ominous promise of him having to show them something.

"What is it father?" Marta asked.

"I brought you a gift back from Vienna," he told them as neutrally as he could, trying to not let on to the surprise. The children eyed each other again as Max watched in amusement.

"I think we're about done here," Max announced, pushing himself up from his chair, seemingly eager to watch everything unfold. The children followed. Georg could scarcely hear the scraping of the chairs against the floor above the beating of his heart.

"Is it a puppy?" Gretl asked hopefully as Georg began to lead them out of the dining room. This time, he didn't fight the chuckle from escaping his lips.

"No, it's not a puppy," he replied. He heard exasperated sighs come from his youngest two children as they walked on either side of him. His brood shuffled behind him, and as Georg glanced over his shoulder to look at them, he saw the confusion etched into their features. The closer they got to the sitting room, the more his nerves buzzed in anticipation.

He stopped just in front of the sitting room, resting a hand on the door handle. His foolish grin was out in full force. This was it – this was the moment his children would be reconnected with their beloved governess, and the moment where he would finally be able to stop hiding his feelings from the people who were most important to him.

"Are you ready?" he asked. He received a few uncertain nods. In an almost theatrical slowness, Georg turned the door handle before pushing the door open to reveal Maria standing in the center of the room, her eyes significantly brightened at the sight of the children.

It was his youngest two that had moved the fastest, charging through the threshold into Maria's open arms with their cries of joy sounding through the air. The older five had a delayed reaction. For a moment, they stared into the room, blinking at Maria as if she were only an illusion. Kurt and Brigitta moved next, joining their younger sisters in Maria's arms.

Slowly, his eldest three entered the room, moving towards Maria. Fredrich gave Maria a warm greeting, and Georg caught his blush when she reached out to cup his cheek. Louisa, being the most stoic of his children, surprised Georg by pulling Maria into a fierce embrace, nearly toppling her over.

However, it was Liesl's reunion that touched Georg's heart the most. His eldest daughter stood watching Maria with admiration and love, the tears in her eyes clear. Maria reached her hand out to grab Liesl's before pulling her into a tight embrace, as the two greeted each other.

Georg watched in awe as his children formed a small circle around Maria, each one of them vying for her attention to tell her all about what had happened while she was gone. She glanced up, her eyes finding Georg's from across the room. He could only smile, sending a small wink her way as he watched the scene unfold before him, his heart feeling undeniably full.

He felt a hand clap on his shoulder, and Georg turned his head to find Max looking at him, a broad smile on his face.

"Would it be indelicate to tell you 'I told you so'?" Max asked. Georg let out a light laugh. Georg had never liked being told that he was in the wrong, but in this particular situation, he both knew that he _had_ been wrong, and he was far too happy in the moment to stoically defend himself.

"Thank you," he told Max, his features becoming more serious.

"You don't have to thank me. I simply pointed out what you were too blind to see," Max replied. "Though if you _really _want to thank me, I wouldn't mind a trip to your wine cellar."

"Fine," Georg said with a hearty chuckle. "But you better go before I change my mind."

The pair's eyes gravitated back to the little cluster of Georg's children that surrounded Maria. Georg could only watch in pure delight. There were smiles on each of his children's faces, a sight he had grown to miss dearly. Everything seemed to fall into place. Maria's presence had brought back a light to the household – that fact was undeniable in the way his children positively beamed now.

"Are you going to tell them?" Max inquired. Georg turned his attention back to Max. His friend had been watching him carefully, and the smile that Max had planted on his face told Georg everything he needed to know; Max could tell just how deeply his entire family cared for Maria. He nodded slowly, turning back to his children and Maria before taking a step towards them. Max's voice stopped him. "Georg?"

"Hm?" came Georg's distant response.

"Congratulations. I'm very happy, for the both of you," Max said, smiling. Georg nodded gratefully, his grin seemingly permanently etched onto his face. He watched as Max left the room, seemingly wandering off to the cellar. Georg couldn't bring himself to ponder how much wine would go missing as his feet carried him closer to the group in the center of the room.

For a moment, he stood at the edge of the group, watching his children excitedly chatter away to Maria all at once. He heard voices exclaim how much they had missed her, as well as he heard voices recounting tales of what they had done without her. It was a chaotic scene at best, and yet, the pure joy he was seeing from his children almost made him wonder if he should wait to tell them the news. Almost.

"Children," he said over their voices, catching their attention. They all looked to their father. Maria's eyes landed on him as well, a nervous smile on her face. He gave her a reassuring nod. "We have something to tell you."

His children were silent, watching him carefully. It was only Liesl who wore a knowing smile on her face, the excitement bright in her eyes as she anticipated what was to come. Georg moved then, standing next to Maria as he steadied himself for what he was about to announce. He looked over to her to find her already watching him, a warm smile on her lips.

"Maria and I," he stopped. He was suddenly at a loss for words. He had thought about this moment more than he cared to admit, and yet, he struggled to find the right way to put it, the most delicate way to tell his children. "Well, you see, we…"

Georg felt Maria's hand grab his tentatively in what was seemingly an act of courage. He looked over at her once again, feeling his strength come back to him, feeling his words come back to him. As he looked back to his children, their eyes were focused on the joined hands of their father and their governess. Brigitta and Louisa's mouths hung open at the sight while Fredrich and Kurt looked rather confused. Marta stared blankly at their hands, while Gretl looked between the adults skeptically.

"Father," Gretl began, her eyes peering up at him, "is Maria your girlfriend?"

Georg was once again at a loss for words. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. He and Maria hadn't quite discussed in depth what they were, and frankly, the term girlfriend seemed rather juvenile to him. Somehow, having been married once and fathering seven children had made the label seem years behind him. However, he couldn't quite figure out the right word.

"Well, I-," he paused again, looking to Maria. She gave a light shrug of her shoulders, her smile never disappearing and her look of admiration unwavering. The next words from his mouth came out as a breathy whisper, "yes."

He could feel the bewildered eyes of his children on him. When he looked back at them, with the exception of Liesl, their mouths hung open. Naturally, he knew they would be shocked. Even with Elsa, he hadn't ever announced that he was romantically involved with her. The children had come to their own conclusions of his relationship with Elsa, but he had never taken the time to confirm them. To have him stand there now and cement his feelings for Maria was something the children would have never expected.

It wasn't long before the string of questions came. The children talked over each other once again, each with a question about what the future would now hold.

"Will Maria stay?"

"Does this mean she can't be our governess anymore?"

"Is she going to live with us?"

"Does she know how old you are?"

At the last question, Georg felt his face prickle with heat as Maria giggled beside him. He looked over, shooting her a look of mock offense, but it only made her giggle more.

"Yes, Maria will be staying with us until the end of August. In the meantime, she will still be your governess, and I expect you will all be on your best behaviour now that she's come back," he said firmly. The children all nodded excitedly, thrilled to have Maria back.

It seemed that his announcement had been rather forgotten as the children began to offer to help Maria to get settled back in. He knew that the announcement hadn't been forgotten. He knew each of his children would process the information, and there would likely be more questions that came from them, but for the time being, they were more preoccupied by the excitement of having Maria back home, and he couldn't blame them; he was positively thrilled to see her standing there in his home when a day ago, the possibility had seemed highly unlikely.

He couldn't do anything but smile. It was clear as his gaggle of children pulled Maria out of the sitting room that they loved her and were overjoyed that she was back. He had been right in his assumption that she would be nearly impossible to get to, but he found he didn't mind. Watching his children with Maria, he felt his heart swell. She fit so naturally with them. It crossed Georg's mind that they felt undeniably like a family, and as Maria and his children disappeared from his sight, he patted his pocket where the velvet box was sat and hoped that one day, he truly could make all of them a family.

* * *

Georg lay in bed that night feeling utterly drained. The day had been chaotic. Between the long drive from Vienna, and the newfound energy of his children upon Maria's return, he was exhausted.

He had been right when he had thought he wouldn't get a moment alone with Maria once they entered the house. It seemed that one of his children was always by her side, telling her a story about something that had happened in the week she had been gone. Georg had been happy enough to just sit back and enjoy the happiness of his children, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He longed for a moment with Maria alone, if only to just hold her close.

After putting the children to bed, he had an opportunity to be alone with her, but it was short lived. Before he could even pull her into an embrace, Liesl had come out of her room to ask if she could speak to Maria privately. Georg didn't mind, he really didn't. He adored that Liesl looked up to Maria and could confide in her, and he knew they had a lot to catch up on after a week apart, but he couldn't help but selfishly want time with Maria.

They had decided, or rather Maria had decided, that she would sleep in the governess's room. Georg had agreed without hesitation. After all, he had promised to keep things professional while she remained under his employ, as much as it was tearing him up inside. At this rate, he would never get a moment alone with Maria again.

He understood her reasoning completely. If one of the children needed her, it was best she stayed in her own room. It was best that they sleep separately to avoid the gossip of his staff. It was best that their sleeping arrangement did not consist of them being together, but now that Georg lay in his rather empty bed, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter about the decision.

He missed the feel of her in his arms. He longed to hold her, to hear her small, steady breaths as she drifted off to sleep, to feel her warmth against his chest. He longed to drift off to sleep with her next to him. As he fitfully tossed in his bed, he came to the conclusion that he would have to be satisfied that she was under the same roof.

After tossing and turning a few more times, he found himself finally get as comfortable as he could. He let his eyes close and let sleep begin to take him, where he assumed that he would at least get to see Maria in his dreams.

Sleep completely evaded him when he heard the creak of his door opening. He sat up slightly, his eyes straining against the darkness as his groggy mind tried to make out the figure standing in his doorway. In the dim moonlight filtering through his window, he could recognize the shadow as none other than Maria.

"Maria?" he questioned, suddenly doubting that he was awake. Perhaps he was already dreaming. She took a step further into the room, before shifting from foot to foot, unsure of her welcome.

"I couldn't sleep," her voice came. Georg's mind felt hazy from the near slumber he had achieved. He didn't quite believe she was there. Surely his mind was playing tricks on him.

"I know we said I'd sleep in the governess's room," she said when he had remained silent, "but I-I-."

"Come here," he said without a second thought. Truth be told, he missed her, even if he had technically been with her for most of the day, it had been torture not being able to reach out and touch her as he had held his promise to keep his distance around the children. If she was allowing him this, if she was going against the rules that she had made between them to be with him, he certainly wasn't going to question it. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to simply hold her.

She padded across the room, crawling into the bed next to him. He opened his arms, and she eagerly went to him, burying her face in his chest. They said nothing more. Georg wrapped his arms around Maria, finding himself more comfortable than he had been all night.

As her breathing became shallow and steady against his chest, a sleepy smile formed on his face. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as his eyes drifted shut. Finally, he began to drift off to sleep, finding immense comfort in the warmth of her body.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the wait on this chapter, and that it's a little all over the place. The last couple of weeks have brought up some personal issues, and I've been trying to write in between dealing with these issues. That being said, I'm afraid updates might be slower.**

**I have a few more chapters planned out, but gradually, we are getting to the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, it means the world to me.**


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